GOVERNMENT | MBALE | FLOODING

The government will spend at least sh20b as initial costs of managing the after-effects of the recent flooding in Mbale City. 

The funds will also go towards expanding drainage to curtail further flooding there, Investment Minister Evelyn Anite said. 

Anita said Thursday that she had done a first-hand assessment of Mbale Industrial Park and it had been decided that a quick expansion of the drainage be done. 

"President Kaguta Museveni has approved sh20b to quickly expand drainage system," she revealed in a Tweet on Thursday. She added that the government has already restored water and electricity and more measures to cushion investors and save jobs are under discussion. 

At least 30 people are confirmed to have died following flooding that hit the city on August 2. Some of the people killed included motorists that were swept off roads after being caught unawares by raging waters.

Forecasters predict the heavy rain will continue through August. But it’s estimated that 5,600 have been displaced from Mbale City alone and 400,000 people have already been cut off from the national water grid.

Latrines and sewage systems have been damaged, polluting the environment, WaterAid says. Furthermore, food shortages could result from 5000 acres of crops being destroyed.

The agency expressed deep concern at the human cost of this latest environmental tragedy in an area where they have recently completed a project to build community resilience to climate shocks for water and sanitation.

Following the occurrence, it was reported that the Mbale Industrial Park halted operations after the floods destroyed several machines in the factories constructed at the park.

The park that sits on over 2.6 Square miles of land with 10 factories was launched by President Museveni in 2020.