Floods ravage Sironko bridges

BY JOSEPH WANZUSI and OLANDASON WANYAMA

Torrential rains that pounded Sironko district in the first week of this month have disrupted the road network in the mountainous area.

Three bridges on River Mahapa connecting Bumasifwa sub-county to the rest of the district cannot be used by motor vehicles forcing travellers to use longer access routes that are poorly maintained.

The rains early this month caused landslides in Bugimwera village, Bumasobo parish in Bumasifwa sub-county in which two people died.

A district truck carrying non-food items from the Uganda Red Cross Society for distribution to the over 35 displaced households had to be diverted to use a longer but slippery access road to reach Bumasobo Primary School where the items were distributed.

The Red Cross donation to the landslide victims included tarpaulins, blankets, mosquito nets, plastic cups and plates, sauce pans, washing soap and jerrycans.

Francis Madanda,70,who lost his home and food gardens in the landslide said him and his family were lucky to survive because the incident occurred during day time giving them chance to run away before mudslides buried their houses and domestic animals.

There was drama when a man identified by Bumasifwa GISO Moses Wetaka as Jonah Manana a resident of Nakisindi village attempted to grab relief items from a disabled man but two Policemen deployed at the distribution point had to wrestle the man down before recovering the items.

Speaking to New Vision after distributing the relief items, Sironko district Red Cross branch manager Agnes Mukoya said they (Red Cross) have only handed out non-food relief items to those whose homes were buried by the mudslides.

Sironko district assistant chief administrative officer John Wetaka said apart from the Red Cross support, the district has also received hoes, blankets, nets and tarpaulins from the relief and disaster preparedness ministry.

Wetaka however, hastened to add that the displaced families lack food and clothing since all their personal belongings were buried in the mudslides and food gardens destroyed.

He told New Vision that the landslides affected residents are willing to be relocated to safer places within Sironko district or neighbouring Bulambuli.

Wetaka estimated that about 500 households now living in the landslide prone areas may have to be relocated to avert a disaster like that one of 2010 in Nametsi village in Bududa district where hundreds of were killed.

He the district authorities are also considering closing down Gabende primary school in Bumasobo parish and distribute the 250 pupils to other schools within Bumasifwa sub-county.

Wetaka said other threatened sub-counties include Bugitimwa, Buhugu and Bukyabo where over 3,000 people may need resettlement following a reported crack across the hilly terrain.     

Meanwhile, two roads leading to South Karamoja have increasingly turned out to be a pain in the neck to travellers heading to the sub region in the past weeks of constant heavy rains.

The roads include Soroti-Moroto, Sironko-Moroto via Nakapiripirit which stretches a distance of about 395 kilometers.

Yet reports indicate Moroto and part of Nakapiripirit districts dominate the mineral industry and other users ply the routes for their own business.

However, road users now demand urgent repairs and expansion of the road due to increasing traffic to Karamoja.

Travelling from Mbale to Moroto town takes over 20 hours from the usual three- five hours of driving due to the ever deteriorating situation of the roads.

Several areas have been submerged forcing travellers to spend sleepless nights along these roads.

The areas are Lorengechora, Nakichumet along Moroto-Soroti road and Okudud on Sironko-Moroto via Nakapiripirit among others.

Judith Nambozo a fruit trader who spent over 20 hours from Mbale over the weekend asks government to carry out emergency repairs along these roads. She says she has lost a lot of money as her merchandise rot in transit.

Nambozo told the New Vision on Monday that for the past weeks her capital has dwindled yet she has no other business that she can carry out.

“We spend a lot of time along the road and our foodstuffs rot during that time,” she noted adding that they left Mbale on Friday afternoon.

Gerald Okwakol a seller of produce in Moroto Municipality said they have been forced to hike prices to make profits, because they buy food from farmers expensively.

So far, cyclists now charge sh120,000 a distance of 160 kms Moroto to Soroti from sh 40,000 the usual charge before the onset of rains.