Taddeo Muhindo, a member of the District Disaster Management Committee hopes that once the government establishes a study, the findings would enable both the district and development partners to plan better for any future eventualities.
Re-known humanitarian John Baluku told the disaster committee meeeting that many reports by government agencies are yet to be shared with partners
Kasese District officials are calling on the government to undertake an ecological
study on Mountain Rwenzori, to establish a lasting solution for floods that have frequently
caused havoc in the district. The government had promised to conduct the study earlier but has not done so, a year after strong floods hit the area.
The proposal followed floods that ravaged the district when major rivers including Nyamwamba and Nyamugasani burst their banks
leaving at least eight people dead and hundreds displaced. Taddeo Muhindo, a member of the District Disaster Management Committee hopes that once the government establishes a study, the findings would
enable both the district and development partners to plan better for any future
eventualities.
Kasese Chief Administrative Officer-CAO Hamis Asuman
Masereka says that the district has limited capacity to plan for
any eventualities, yet all the documents that they have presented to the various government
departments for action received no feedback. He says that concrete steps need to be taken before the rains intensify.
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Buhuhira Sub County Chairperson Justus Asaba whose
area was greatly devastated last year says it's urgent that the government approves
some of the local recommendations to enable
proper planning. He says there is still a need to help families who lost
their properties and gardens to re-start their lives again.
//Cue in; “We are requesting…
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Reuben Mbautha, another member of the
District Disaster Management Committee says
there should be affirmative action from the government to tackle the flood issue
in the region, adding that it's unfortunate that even after a year, there is little that has been done to mitigate future disasters.
//Cue in; “But if we worked…
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Susan Burungi, a staff of UNICEF
challenges the government to make studies on the weather patterns in the region to
establish the cause of the disasters. She also asked the government to establish
seasonal de-silting of rivers in the district.
//Cue in; “When the white man…
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While in Kasese the
Assistant Commissioner for Disaster Preparedness in the Office of the Prime Minister
Gerald Menhya said he could not provide an answer when the government would
establish the studies and permanently relocate the affected persons. Various groups have asked the government to establish a
study on mountain Rwenzori.
During his visit to the district after the disaster, the Church of Uganda Archbishop, the Most Reverend Dr Steven Kaziimba Mugalu said the study will facilitate well-planned construction
of infrastructure to avoid future destruction.
//Cue in; “There is need...
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Bureau Chief
Basaija is a graduate of Uganda Christian University (UCU-Mukono) holding a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication.
He also boosts of numerous training's in communication studies.
Before joining URN, he had served as Documentation personnel, Field news reporter, Radio presenter and News Editor.
Basaija is a social critic and a young farmer.
He believes in writing for social change.
At URN Basaija is incharge of Bundibugyo, Bunyangabu and Kasese Districts.