Luwero hit hard as rainstorm uproots trees and homes

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Hundreds of residents in Kamira town council in Bamunanika County, Luwero district, are counting losses following a rainstorm that ravaged the area, destroying homes and crops.

The two-hour storm, which hit the area on Thursday evening, also uprooted trees, destroyed household property, and killed an unspecified number of domestic birds.

Among the worst-hit villages were Makonkonyigo, Kittanswa, Yandwe, Kanjuki, Mpeeeka, Kikandwa, and Katagwe, all located on the outskirts of Kamira town council in Luwero.

According to the area LC5 councillor, Daniel Kyaterekera, at least 200 homeless people are living without property after falling debris smashed their household items, including electronics, utensils, and bedding.

The storm uprooted trees, destroyed household property, and killed an unspecified number of domestic birds. (Photo by Frederick Kiwanuka)

Fatima Najjuka, a resident of Kittanswa village, said she is now staying with a relative after her mattress and bedding were damaged during the rainstorm that struck at around 8:00 pm on October 16, 2025.

Najjuka, a disabled woman whose two-roomed house was reduced to rubble, said she narrowly survived being injured by a flying iron sheet that landed on her bed, piercing through the mattress.

Muhammad Okello, the LC1 chairperson of Kittanswa village, said a total of 15 families had no shelter after their homes were unroofed or destroyed by the storm.

Okello added that many residents lost crops, including maize, beans, and banana plantains.

Abdalatifu Serugo, the LC1 chairperson of Makonkonyigo village, said at least ten homes in the village were destroyed by the storm, which he described as the first of its magnitude to hit the area.

Among the homes destroyed in Makonkonyigo village was that of Anatoli Sekyanzi, whose family of six is now sleeping in the open.

At Kanjuki village, David Osinde, his wife, and two daughters have taken refuge in a small grass-thatched kitchen after their two-roomed house was flattened during the storm.

Osinde also lost his two-acre maize garden to the hailstones, which destroyed his neighbour Mariam Nakabugo’s banana plantation.

The Member of Parliament for Bamunanika, Robert Sekitoleko, who over the weekend went to assess the situation, said he was going to contact relevant authorities for solutions.

Sekitoleko said the destruction of homes and crops had left many families in a state of destitution and in need of help.