By John Ogulei, Teso News Network, TNN
Katakwi District is reeling from the effects of persistent heavy rains that have pounded the region for nearly two weeks, leaving a trail of destruction across several sub-counties.
The flooding has submerged gardens, demolished homes, and cut off vital roads, putting residents at risk of hunger and disease.
Our correspondent, who visited parts of Goshen, Palam, and Dokomer villages in Katakwi Town Council and Palam Sub-county, found devastating scenes of collapsed houses, waterlogged farmland, and stranded families.
Local administrators confirmed that close to 100 crop gardens have been destroyed, alongside more than 30 houses that could no longer withstand the surging water.
According to James Stephen Ilakut, the LC I Defense Secretary for Dokomer Cell, more than 20 gardens have been inundated and at least 10 buildings destroyed.
“We are overwhelmed by the scale of damage. Families have lost their homes, crops, and sources of income within days,” Ilakut told reporters.
Among the victims is Alex Omulen, a resident of Goshen Central Ward, Katakwi Town Council, whose family of six is now sheltering in a small kitchen after their two main houses caved in.
“We have nowhere else to go. I lost household property and my television worth 300,000 shillings when the wall collapsed,” Omulen narrated, visibly distraught.
Another resident, Julius Audo, revealed that the damp environment has worsened health risks for his pregnant wife, Irene Atino.
“We keep going back to the clinic because of complications from the cold and the damp floors. This situation is unbearable,” Audo lamented.
The floods have also triggered severe food insecurity.
Anna Grace Imalingat, a Goshen resident, said her family has been forced to survive on a single meal per day after cassava, groundnut, and potato gardens were submerged and began rotting.
“We don’t know how we shall survive the next few weeks,” she said.
Echoing similar fears, Grace Alupo of Goshen Cell warned that residents are on the verge of starvation and facing the risk of waterborne diseases.
“Children are already suffering from cold-related illnesses. We urgently need relief support,” Alupo pleaded.
Sam Okello, the acting LC I Chairperson of Goshen Cell and General Secretary of Dokomer Cell, estimated that nearly 100 gardens and about 10 residences have been destroyed.
“This disaster is beyond what we can handle locally. We are appealing to the district disaster committee for urgent food and health support,” Okello said.
He also noted that water run-off from the Bindadi sale road, worsened by heavy rains, has intensified the flooding.
District leaders are now moving to assess the full extent of damage and explore relief options.
Geoffrey Omolo, the Katakwi District LCV Chairperson and a member of the district disaster committee, confirmed that several roads, including the Bidandi sale road, have been submerged or rendered impassable.
“Some of these roads, about 12 kilometers within the town council, were already earmarked for rehabilitation, but the floods have made the situation worse,” Omolo said.
As the damage worsens, residents are appealing for government intervention. Community members are urging the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness to provide tapelines, gumboots, and chlorine tablets to help prevent the outbreak of waterborne diseases such as cholera and dysentery.
“The district is doing what it can, but the scale of the destruction requires national-level attention. We need immediate relief in terms of food, shelter, and clean water,” a village elder in Palam sub-county emphasized.
Meanwhile, humanitarian organizations have been called upon to step in with emergency relief assistance as Katakwi faces a mounting humanitarian crisis.
With the rains expected to continue in the coming weeks, residents fear that the worst may not yet be over. Unless urgent interventions are made, thousands could be left homeless, hungry, and vulnerable to disease.
This article was first published by TNN
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