Floods Kill Pupil In Kasese

By John Thawite A pupil has been killed, and more than 50 homes destroyed leaving over 300 people homeless when floods hit several parts of Kasese district. By yesterday, two bridges had also been washed away, paralysing business and communication in four sub-counties. The floods and landslides follow torrential rains in the Rwenzori Mountain areas. The LC1 chairman Kyambogho village in Kilembe sub-county, William Bahati, said the schoolgirl, Janet Biira of Kyambogho Primary School and daughter of Yosiwa Kibaya, was killed by a landslide. Sources in the area said the landslide hit the village on Monday, destroying 14 homes. "We are extremely scared as we do not know when the next killer landslide will hit us," some residents were quoted as saying. In Kyondo village, Rukoki sub-county, floods also submerged 40 houses. The area LC1 chairman, Karugaba Apuuli, said at least 280 people were displaced. The floods in Kyondo occurred after River Sebwe, which partly supplies water to the Mubuku irrigation scheme, burst its banks destroying the homes in the area. No people or livestock died but food and cash crops worth millions of shillings were swept away by the raging water. The District Speaker, Jerom Mbura-Muhindo, who led some members of the district disaster management committee to the area, has called for relief supplies for the affected population. In Kisinga, Bukonzo East constituency, farms were destroyed the landslides in Busangwa village. Witnesses who travelled to Kasese said Kyampara bridge had been damaged. Ends