MICHAEL N
Heavy rains accompanied by strong winds swept through Kiyoora Nyakyera Sub-County in Ruhaama East, Ntungamo District on Thursday evening, leaving thousands of families grappling with extensive damage to crops, livestock, and homes.
The storm caused widespread destruction, with sandstorms flattening banana plantations, washing away cassava, beans, and millet, and killing goats and pigs. Roads were also severely affected, with ditches filled with stagnant water making travel across the parish nearly impossible.
Yosam Mugisha, a resident of Nyakasa Village in Kiyoora Parish, described the devastation, noting that the rains lasted nearly two hours and were accompanied by sand-laden winds that destroyed his banana plantations and killed several animals. Mugisha revealed that his family relied on farming not only for sustenance but also as a means of accessing loans from financial institutions to support school fees and boost farm productivity.
Bonita Musiimenta and her uncle, Dominico Atukunda, were found supervising their gardens where floodwaters had deposited cassava plants they had never planted. Stones and sand carried from nearby hills were scattered across their plot, leaving them shocked at the scale of the destruction.
Monica Kekimuri, another resident, shared her plight, explaining that her plantations—critical for funding her children’s school fees—were swept away by the storm. She expressed concern over an outstanding loan from a local SACCO, which she had planned to repay from the sale of bananas.
Joy Kyotungire, a widow, lamented the destruction of her home and kitchen, partially destroyed by winds and flooding. Her beans and banana plantations were destroyed, and four of her goats were swept away. She voiced her fears over how her family will survive in the coming days.
Other residents, including Jacinta Betuuza, Scovia Beinomugisha, and Joseph Bakashaba, expressed deep concern over the potential humanitarian impact, appealing to the government for immediate support to prevent famine.
Odmard Buhambiro, the LC1 Chairperson for Nyakasa Village, confirmed that Kiyoora Parish was broadly affected, although his village experienced relatively less impact due to its hilly terrain. He noted that many farmers who had taken loans from financial institutions may struggle to repay them due to the destruction. Odmard urged the government to provide relief to the affected communities, warning that without intervention, famine could claim lives.
