By KT Reporter
Agago District is grappling with devastating floods that have displaced hundreds of residents, destroyed homes and crops, and cut off vital roads. The disaster, triggered by days of nonstop downpours, has left five parishes severely affected as rivers overflowed, submerging villages and washing away livelihoods.
Local leaders warn that the situation is worsening as more rain continues to fall. Fertile fields of maize, soybeans, simsim, and sunflowers have been drowned under muddy waters, leaving families homeless and stripped of their main source of income.
Charles Owor, a resident of Dog-Nam Village, expressed fears for his own home. “Cracks keep widening in my walls,” he said, adding that his neighbors’ homes have already collapsed. Bessize Obol from Aloko-Lum Village, who lost two acres of sunflowers and nearly all his second-season crops, said the floods have destroyed livelihoods and worsened hunger. He added that impassable roads have cut families off from markets and aid.
Simon Oromakeca, Agengo Sub-county LCIII Chairperson, described the sub-county as overwhelmed by the crisis. He said he now coordinates relief operations from his home due to flooding. “People are trapped, homeless, and desperate for support,” he said, noting that five parishes have been hit hardest. In Agweng Village, Lutome Parish, 121 homes are submerged, seven collapsed.
Entebbe Village in Tori Parish has 31 houses underwater, two destroyed. Oyenyo in Tori Parish counts 48 homes flooded but still standing. Adak-Otumpili in Agengo Parish reports 19 submerged houses, five destroyed, while Alwee Nono in Alwee Parish has 18 affected, with two lost entirely.
Leonard Opio Ojok, Agago LCV Chairperson, said he has escalated the crisis to the Office of the Prime Minister. He confirmed that at least eight sub-counties are facing similar threats, with Agengo being the first to report extensive damage.
“The affected sub-counties include Agengo, Lamiyo, Laperebong, Patongo, Kuywee, Geregere, Parabongo, and Palwo,” he said. “If these rains persist, Agago could face devastation worse than the Sipi region.”
According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Uganda is highly vulnerable to the effects of climate change due to its dependence on rain-fed agriculture, reliance on natural resources for livelihoods, and limited adaptive capacity.
Changes in temperature and rainfall patterns, as well as extreme weather events such as floods and droughts, have severe implications for food security, water resources, health, and infrastructure.
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