A homestead submerged in water. Photos by Hudson Apunyo

Gardens, roads, and homes in five sub-counties of Dokolo district have been submerged by the rising water levels of Lake Kwania, making over a thousand families homeless.

The people affected have moved to higher grounds as the devastating floods continue to wreak havoc in the district.

Olga Hope Eriong, a resident of Acungapenyi, Kachung parish in Agwata sub-county says the community whose homes have been submerged by floods is experiencing problems of lack of food and shelter.

She says there is a scarcity of building materials, so they are facing difficulties in constructing new houses.  

Middy Amek, a mother of four, whose home was affected says the water level started rising last year and since then, it has covered more than 700 metres inland towards her home.

"I have to leave this place but it's not easy, due to lack of building materials," she said.

Karina Akite, a resident of the place says she last witnessed such flooding in 1962 but that time, there was much rain. 

The ceremonial ground near her home is all flooded.  Dokolo RDC Lawrence Egole said they recently used the ground during a funeral.

Kuranimo Dai, another resident said their homes are greatly affected.

Dai said at night, it's very cold, there're many mosquitoes and snakes. He also said the flood water smells bad.

Nelson Okello, a youthful retail trader in the village said he is being forced out of his home by the flood. 

Ronny Opio Okodi, a resident in the area said over 490 houses have been affected by the water in the village. He is appealing for emergency assistance to enable them to relocate to high land.

Ongom Apita, 66, says floods have destroyed his citrus farm. 

"Even my fish pond and bananas that NAADS  gave me were destroyed," he said.

Agwata sub-county LC3 Chairperson Geofrey Ojungu says most of the people in nine villages, are affected by the water from the lake Kwania.

"We are planning to relocate them to schools and sub-county headquarter's land," he said.

The district chairperson Fredrick Odongo says the floods have affected the sub-counties of Agwata, Adok, Kwera, Adeknino, Okwongdul, and Kangai.

"Last week we went to the sub-counties of Kwera, Adeknino, and Okwongodul and found a number of homes destroyed, gardens flooded, and roads destroyed," Odongo said.

He said the road network in the district has been greatly affected and they have to be reconstructed when the flood subsides.

He said in Agwata, where they visited on Monday, they found a similar situation.

"A number of farms and homes have been destroyed," Odongo said.

He said they wrote to the office of the Prime Minister who sent a consignment of relief items including 15, 000kg of maize flour, 5000kg of beans, and 50 bundles of tarpaulin.

Odongo added that they have not received 300 pieces of blankets as indicated in a letter dated May 28, 2020, signed by Rose Nakabugo on behalf of the Permanent Secretary.

The Chief Administrative Officer of Dokoo district Isa Mbooge says although the consignment was not enough, he shared with his colleagues of Amolatar and Kwania.

"We have to appreciate what they have given us because everybody is looking at the same source," Mbooge said.

The CAO is appealing to those living in the low land to shift to higher grounds because the floods are continuing to consume more land.