More than 100 households in Katadoba and Kiharimu-Kyaminyoku villages in Central Division, Kasese Municipality, are living in fear as a rapidly expanding gully threatens to swallow homes and destroy property. What started as a small erosion channel has since turned into a massive drainage trench, exposing residents to both environmental dangers and growing insecurity.
Residents say every rainfall worsens the situation, with the channel widening and deepening at an alarming rate due to heavy runoff that has destabilised the surrounding ground. Several houses located along the edges of the gully are now at risk of collapsing, while others have already developed visible structural cracks.
LC II Chairperson for Nyakabingo II Ward, Isaac Kalyabyuma, says the gully has grown exponentially in recent months and has now reached a critical stage. He also warns that, beyond the physical destruction, the gully has become a security concern because criminals reportedly use it as a hiding place to evade detection.
Jessia Biira, a resident of Kiharimu-Kyaminyoku Village, says each downpour pushes the edges of the channel closer to residents’ homes. Wilson Kiiza, another resident, says the situation is becoming increasingly dire, noting that some homes are already showing signs of structural damage.
He has appealed to authorities to intervene urgently to save homes and property from further destruction. Responding to the concerns, the Deputy Town Clerk of Kasese Municipality, Kambasu Zedekiya Kairi, confirmed that the authorities are aware of the crisis.
He says the gully has already been identified for intervention and is scheduled for construction works under Phase II of the Uganda Support to Cities and Municipal Infrastructure Development (UCMID) programme in July this year-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
