Flood victims in Bunyoro cry foul

Hoima, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Thousands of people who were affected by floods that resulted from the rising water levels of lake Albert in the Bunyoro sub region are crying for government support.

In 2020, the floods submerged several homes on the shores of Lake Albert in the districts of Kikuube, Hoima, Buliisa and Kagadi.

More than 10,000 families were displaced by the rising water levels after their homes were submerged. The flood victims then sought refuge in churches, schools, under the trees while others erected makeshift structures where they are settling to date.

Government promised to acquire land to resettle the victims but to date, nothing has been done.

Four years after the calamity, the flood victims are faulting the government for not helping them despite the suffering they have endured since 2020.

Victor Kyomuhendo, a fisherman at Kaiso landing site in Hoima district faults the government for abandoning them. He says, he has been compelled to re-occupy his house after the water levels reduced.

Pascal Pithuwa, a fisherman at Butiaba landing site in Buliisa district says many fishermen lost properties at the time the floods ravaged their homes but government kept a deaf ear to their pleas of having them resettled.

Gloria Tibasiime, a fishmonger and a mother of three at Nsonga landing site in Kikuube district says, since the floods submerged her home, life became difficult and her business has greatly been affected.

She wants the government to avail them with cheap and affordable loans to help revamp their businesses.

Fredrick Lukumu, the Bullisa LCV Chairperson wonders why the government has up to now kept a deaf ear despite several pleas from area leaders to have the flood victims resettled.

He says as a result, most of the flood victims have resorted to re-occupying the dilapidated structures following the reduction in water levels of Lake Albert which he says is dangerous to peoples’ lives stating that the victims are risking their lives by re-occupying the weak and dilapidated structures.

In 2021, Robinah Nabbanja, the Prime Minister assured the flood victims that government would resettle them. She then explained that the government was profiling all flood-affected persons in the Bunyoro sub region and draft a comprehensive plan for their resettlement.

Nabbanja tasked leaders in the region to work closely with her office to ensure that the resettlement plan is worked on. She then did not specify when and where OPM will resettle the flood victims.

In 2022, Hillary Onek, the Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness, and Refugees said that government was yet to acquire land to resettle some of the flood victims in Buliisa.

According to Onek, the government had instructed the ministries for lands, water, and Environment to first carry out a comprehensive survey of the affected areas to ascertain the degree of the destruction and come up with appropriate measures on how the victims could be amicably resettled.

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