Torrential Floods Hit Kasese, Uganda 🇺🇬 June 21 2023

In Kasese, Uganda, a heavy downpour has led to widespread flooding and the destruction of crop gardens on June 21st 2023. The rains started on Wednesday night and caused sections of the Nyamwamba, Mubuku, and Nyamugasani rivers to burst their banks. As a result, the road connecting Kasese municipality to Kilembe is currently cut off. The areas most affected by the flooding are Kyanjiki, Nyamwamba, and parts of Kanyangeya in Kasese municipality. Many residents have been severely affected by the floods. The disruption of roads has hindered the local economy, with farmers and traders unable to cross to markets. Moreover, patients have been unable to reach medical care, and some hospital staff from Kilembe are stuck in their homes. Some residents are asking the government to resettle them to safer locations in anticipation of more rains. Notably, one family’s house and those of their neighbors have been submerged by the floodwaters. Local authorities are currently making assessments to establish the number of people affected by the floods and are mobilizing those in the river catchment areas to vacate to nearby worship places or join relatives elsewhere. This is not the first time the area has faced such devastating floods. In May of the previous year, major rivers in the district also burst their banks after heavy rains, displacing more than 10,000 people and destroying many properties.