Worry as Masaka residents refuse to vacate flooded areas

People living at several landing sites have declined to heed to advise from the government to vacate flooded areas as water levels in Lake Victoria continue to rise. An estimated 10,000 residents at various landing sites claim they do not have where to go.

Monitor has established that flood victims at landing sites of Lambu, Kaziru, Kyasa, Kalokoso, Malembo and Namirembe in the sub counties of Bukakata, Buwunga, Kyanamukaka and Kyesiiga in Masaka District have not relocated to higher grounds despite water flooding their homes. 

Mr Steven Male, the chairperson of Lambu landing site says of the  about 6,000 residents in the area, only 1,000 have relocated to safer places within Bukakkata Sub County.

''The Ministry of Disaster Preparedness should help the displaced families get shelter in the neighbouring villages by providing them relief aid and tarpaulins,'' Mr Male told Monitor on May 15.

Enumerators for the population census assigned to the affected landing sites claim to be at risk of catching water-borne diseases as they wade through the floods looking for residents to be counted.

“Many  residents  are not in their inundated homes  and it takes time to trace them. We are working in the flooded landing sites at the shores of Lake Victoria and we are in fear of getting infected with water-borne diseases,'' one enumerator who preferred anonymity said.

Mr Male asked the government to extend the census exercise for more days so that all residents can be enumerated.

During the 2014 National Population Census, the four sub counties of Kyanamukaka, Kyesiiga, Buwunga and Bukakkata had a total population of 128,700 people.

Masaka District planner and also the district census commissioner, Mr Vincent Lukyamuzi Sande said so far 47 percent of the population in the district has been enumerated despite some challenges of flash floods at various landing sites.

“It is true the enumerators are facing a challenge of floods, but Uganda National Bureau of Statistics has  made a provision of protective gear to the enumerators like gumboots, gloves and boats which they will use in tracing the families  at the affected landing sites” he said adding that ‘The enumerators deployed in the flood-hit areas will also  be paid extra allowances to motivate them to do the work.”  

There are 337 places for enumeration and in some areas like landing sites where many people have been displaced, according to Mr Lukyamuzi .

Speaking to Journalists in Kampala on May 14, Water and Environment Minister,  Mr Sam Cheptoris said Cabinet had endorsed the allocation of Shs5.5 billion to support immediate measures to address challenges related to the rising water levels in the country’s water bodies.

This is the third time in four years residents at landing sites in Masaka  are displaced by rising water levels in Lake Victoria . In both 2020 and 2022 , residents were affected  and many were temporarily relocated to makeshift houses on the mainland  as they waited for the government to resettle them permanently.

However, before the government implemented the resettlement plan as earlier promised, thousands of victims started returning to their homes early last year, claiming the resettlement programme had over delayed.