Kasese leaders petition Parliament over disasters

FLOODS |

The Kasese district leadership has called for a comprehensive study on Mt Rwenzori, to establish the factors behind the re-occurring disasters befalling the Kasese sub-region.

The LC5 chairperson, Geoffrey Sibendire Bigogo and the Chief Administrative Officer, Winston Aggrey Muramira, have implored the Government and other stakeholders to establish an authority to manage the river catchments in the Rwenzori region.

The appeal was made during a joint meeting between the parliamentary committees on presidential affairs and climate change, led by Jesca Ababiku, the Adjumani Woman MP and Richard Oseku Oriebu, the MP for Kibale County in Pallisa district. The meeting took place at the district multi-purpose hall, opposite the Kasese airfield.

The two committees toured the Uganda-DR Congo Mpondwe border post, Kanyangeya Primary School displaced people's camp and Kilembe Mines Hospital. They were on a factfinding mission to assess the impact of the recent disaster.

"It is dangerous to focus only on River Nyamwamba, which has destroyed Kilembe Mines, when there are others, including Lhubiriha, Nyamugasani and Mubuku, which are equally dangerous," the leaders told the committees.

Earlier, Muramira called for a multi-sectoral intervention into the disasters, saying the district has no capacity to handle them.

Busongora MP, Jackson Mbaju Kathika warned that if not urgently tamed, River Nyamwamba was a time-bomb. He said during the recent floods, the river washed away copper stockpiles worth about sh300b.

He urged the Government to urgently find an investor to revive the Kilembe Mines and to properly manage the river's catchment area.

He said the previous companies including Arab Contractors, which the Government hired to protect hotspots including Kilembe Mines Hospital, Bulembia and Road Barrier Primary School, had not fully addressed the challenge.

Committees direct

The committees gave the district and Kilembe an ultimatum of 10 days, starting Monday this week, to file the pending reports on the disaster, especially floods, so as to facilitate decision-making. She also asked for aid from the Office of the Prime Minister and development partners.

She said over 630 people living at Kanyangeya Primary School camp complained about lack of lights, security and sanitary facilities.

Displaced, intimidated, sidelined

According to the camp chairperson, Julius Monday Kule, the displaced people live in fear after some people, only known as royal guards, a security detail linked to the Rwenzururu cultural institution, intimidated them.

"Please gives us security so that we are safe. We feel like returning to our former homes even if it means being swept away by River Nyamwamba," Kule said.

Elizabeth Kabugho, one of the displaced people in the camp, said authorities were registering damaged property of a few people, leaving out some.

Ronet Muhindo, another resident, implored the committees to visit Kanyangeya village to see the extent of the damage, but they could not, due to time constraints.

Jesca Ababiku asked the district chairperson to submit the pledges made by President Yoweri Museveni during his May 20 visit to Kasese district so that Parliament can implement them.