Residents of Kyondo in Scheme Ward, Nyamwamba Division, within Kasese Municipality, have expressed concern over delays in desilting River Nyamwamba, which they say continues to threaten their homes and livelihoods.
Community members say the river’s changing course has brought water dangerously close to residential areas, raising fears that another flood could force families to flee to camps as has happened in previous years.
Siraj Isingoma, a resident of Kyondo, said leaders have repeatedly promised to fully desilt the river since devastating floods in 2020, but the work has never been completed. He added that several government ministers have visited the area over the years to assess the situation, yet no permanent solution has been implemented to protect communities living near the river banks.
Another resident, Drona Kamuhanda, said she has abandoned farming on her land near the river bank for fear that floods could strike at any time. She warned that if the situation persists, many families could face food shortages because they are afraid to cultivate their gardens close to the river.
Valentino Maserek said although several leaders have visited the community, they rarely return with lasting solutions, leaving residents worried and unable to sleep peacefully. He added that locals have resorted to using rudimentary tools to try and redirect the river back to its original course after waiting in vain for government intervention.
The LC I Chairperson of Kyondo, Emmanuel Katuramu, called on district authorities to intervene urgently by deploying proper equipment to desilt the river and restore its natural channel. “Engineers have reached here, the Kasese Municipality MP has been here and they know the existence of this problem, but our request as local residents is for an excavator that can re-channel this water so that it does not flood into communities and destroy people’s property,” Katuramu said.
Meanwhile, Mustafa Kikusa, the Assistant Chief Administrative Officer and chairperson of the District Disaster Management Committee, appealed to residents to remain calm, saying government plans are underway to address the problem.
He said more than UGX 79 billion has been secured to implement a drainage master plan for River Nyamwamba. Kikusa also urged residents to observe environmental guidelines by maintaining a buffer zone of at least 50 metres from the river, as recommended by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), when carrying out activities such as farming and irrigation along the river valley. URN