Four killed in Kampala floods
<b>Museveni stranded, educates masses about garbage</b><br><br>Kampala city yesterday morning experienced one of its worst floods in history, killing at least four people and holding back President Yoweri Museveni for a quarter of an hour.
Museveni stranded, educates masses about garbage
By Saturday Vision team
Kampala city yesterday morning experienced one of its worst floods in history, killing at least four people and holding back President Yoweri Museveni for a quarter of an hour.
Museveni, who was going to Entebbe International Airport en route to South Africa, got stuck in the flood at Namasuba, 5km from the city centre. The president got out of his car and walked around to evaluate the floods for a few minutes.
He then addressed area residents who had moved to the roadside after the floods displaced them from their homes, and stranded commuters. “Look at these buveera (plastic bags) and bottles. They are the root cause of all this flooding because they have blocked the drainage system. We shall deal with it,†the President said, pointing at the garbage.
Some of the residents cheered the president for coming out of his car to evaluate the problem, while others booed, accusing the Government of failing to protect them from floods.
Museveni was seen making calls on his mobile phone as his convoy moved through the floods.
Soon the fire brigade arrived at the scene, where some residents were calling for help from their houses that were flooded above window level, and abandoned vehicles were submerged by water.
But the fire engine also got stuck in the flood when it skidded into a trench. Later it was towed out of the water and used to rescue many people including several A’ level candidates who were stranded on their way to exams.
By press time at least four people were confirmed dead. In Zana three children were killed as their flooded house collapsed on them, Police at the scene said.
In St. Francis Zone, Bwaise, a Kampala suburb, a 60-year-old man, Billy Sebyala, was electrocuted after water got into his house and made contact with a live wire, Police in Kawempe said.
Other flooded parts of the city were Kalerwe and Zana on the Kampala-Entebbe highway, the Clock Tower, the Kibuli-Mukwano Road junction, Nateete and Nalukolongo. Several roads were jammed. “It took me three hours to get to Kampala yet I often need about 45 minutes,†a senior police officer said.
A duty forecaster at the Meteorological department in Entebbe told Saturday Vision that the downpour that started at about 2:00am till about 10:00am, also affected Entebbe, Jinja, Mbale, Mityana, Masaka and the Lake Albert region.
The rain, he stated, was a result of a wet air mass blown to Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The department promised to issue a report later in the day. The disaster came only a day after CHOGM delegates warned of more floods as a result of global warming.
By press time, the meteorological department did not yet have the measurements of the downpour, believed to be one of the heaviest this year.
Works minister John Nasasira, who inspected the flooded areas, attributed the problem to poor drainage and settling in wetlands.
He immediately instructed contractors on all CHOGM roads to immediately de-silt and clear all drainages and rivulets.
“We are ready for CHOGM but we are not ready for floods. While we have prepared for CHOGM, we cannot control nature. If floods come they will be a spoiler, but we shall still hold CHOGM nevertheless,†he said. Accompanied by engineers, Nasasira toured Lugogo by-pass, Bunga-Ggaba road going to Munyonyo, and Zana on Entebbe road, all of which were overrun with water. Meanwhile State minister John Byabagambi was touring Bwaise and Kalerwe, similarly affected by floods.
Nasasira blamed the residents for blocking the drainage with rubbish and Wakiso authorities for approving building plans in wetlands.
“We should not have allowed people to build in these wetlands. These culverts are cleared but they get blocked by garbage. But this rain is also unusually heavy,†he said.
Over the past few months, Uganda has experienced heavy rains that weather experts blamed on the la nina weather phenomenon.
Consequently several parts of the country experienced flooding since August, Teso and northern Uganda being worst hit.
About 4,000 people were left homeless and crops rotted in the fields, causing fears of famine. More recently the flooding has spread to Western Uganda. Meteorologists predicted that the abnormally heavy rains would continue till December, shifting from one part of the country to another. Several other African countries have been affected by the torrential rains.
Reporting by Herbert Sempogo, Cyprian Musoke, Lydia Namubiru, Godfrey Kimono and Robert Kasozi
By Saturday Vision team
Kampala city yesterday morning experienced one of its worst floods in history, killing at least four people and holding back President Yoweri Museveni for a quarter of an hour.
Museveni, who was going to Entebbe International Airport en route to South Africa, got stuck in the flood at Namasuba, 5km from the city centre. The president got out of his car and walked around to evaluate the floods for a few minutes.
He then addressed area residents who had moved to the roadside after the floods displaced them from their homes, and stranded commuters. “Look at these buveera (plastic bags) and bottles. They are the root cause of all this flooding because they have blocked the drainage system. We shall deal with it,†the President said, pointing at the garbage.
Some of the residents cheered the president for coming out of his car to evaluate the problem, while others booed, accusing the Government of failing to protect them from floods.
Museveni was seen making calls on his mobile phone as his convoy moved through the floods.
Soon the fire brigade arrived at the scene, where some residents were calling for help from their houses that were flooded above window level, and abandoned vehicles were submerged by water.
But the fire engine also got stuck in the flood when it skidded into a trench. Later it was towed out of the water and used to rescue many people including several A’ level candidates who were stranded on their way to exams.
By press time at least four people were confirmed dead. In Zana three children were killed as their flooded house collapsed on them, Police at the scene said.
In St. Francis Zone, Bwaise, a Kampala suburb, a 60-year-old man, Billy Sebyala, was electrocuted after water got into his house and made contact with a live wire, Police in Kawempe said.
Other flooded parts of the city were Kalerwe and Zana on the Kampala-Entebbe highway, the Clock Tower, the Kibuli-Mukwano Road junction, Nateete and Nalukolongo. Several roads were jammed. “It took me three hours to get to Kampala yet I often need about 45 minutes,†a senior police officer said.
A duty forecaster at the Meteorological department in Entebbe told Saturday Vision that the downpour that started at about 2:00am till about 10:00am, also affected Entebbe, Jinja, Mbale, Mityana, Masaka and the Lake Albert region.
The rain, he stated, was a result of a wet air mass blown to Uganda from the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The department promised to issue a report later in the day. The disaster came only a day after CHOGM delegates warned of more floods as a result of global warming.
By press time, the meteorological department did not yet have the measurements of the downpour, believed to be one of the heaviest this year.
Works minister John Nasasira, who inspected the flooded areas, attributed the problem to poor drainage and settling in wetlands.
He immediately instructed contractors on all CHOGM roads to immediately de-silt and clear all drainages and rivulets.
“We are ready for CHOGM but we are not ready for floods. While we have prepared for CHOGM, we cannot control nature. If floods come they will be a spoiler, but we shall still hold CHOGM nevertheless,†he said. Accompanied by engineers, Nasasira toured Lugogo by-pass, Bunga-Ggaba road going to Munyonyo, and Zana on Entebbe road, all of which were overrun with water. Meanwhile State minister John Byabagambi was touring Bwaise and Kalerwe, similarly affected by floods.
Nasasira blamed the residents for blocking the drainage with rubbish and Wakiso authorities for approving building plans in wetlands.
“We should not have allowed people to build in these wetlands. These culverts are cleared but they get blocked by garbage. But this rain is also unusually heavy,†he said.
Over the past few months, Uganda has experienced heavy rains that weather experts blamed on the la nina weather phenomenon.
Consequently several parts of the country experienced flooding since August, Teso and northern Uganda being worst hit.
About 4,000 people were left homeless and crops rotted in the fields, causing fears of famine. More recently the flooding has spread to Western Uganda. Meteorologists predicted that the abnormally heavy rains would continue till December, shifting from one part of the country to another. Several other African countries have been affected by the torrential rains.
Reporting by Herbert Sempogo, Cyprian Musoke, Lydia Namubiru, Godfrey Kimono and Robert Kasozi