Over 500 Villages At Risk As Landslide Cracks Widen in Namisindwa District

More than 500 villages in Uganda's Namisindwa District are at risk of displacement and disaster as large landslide-induced ground cracks widen across several sub-counties. Local leaders have issued warnings, identifying affected areas including Buwabwala, Bumumali, Tsekululu, Mukoto, and Luwa Town Council. Residents in these areas are living in fear following persistent heavy rains, which have made the cracks more pronounced and caused extensive damage.

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It is time for government to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves. We should not wait for people to lose their lives before taking action.

Wednesday's downpour led to significant damage to homes, gardens, and infrastructure. Several houses have developed deep structural cracks, and acres of crops have been destroyed by landslides and flash floods. Namisindwa District Chairperson Emma Bwayo, after assessing the affected communities, emphasized the need for urgent government intervention. "It is time for government to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves. We should not wait for people to lose their lives before taking action," Bwayo stated.

The district is compiling a comprehensive report for the central government, seeking immediate intervention, emergency support, and long-term solutions for communities residing in landslide-prone areas. Betty Nandutu, the district councillor for Tsekululu and Bungati, warned that if the government does not intervene quickly, hunger could become another disaster, especially as many beneficiaries of the Parish Development Model had invested heavily in agriculture and now risk losing their livelihoods.

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If government does not intervene quickly, hunger will become another disaster facing our people.

Residents in the affected areas feel trapped, fearing landslides while lacking alternative relocation sites. "We are sleeping in houses that could collapse at any time. Every day we fear for our lives, but we have nowhere else to go," one resident expressed. Local leaders are calling for immediate evacuation plans, emergency relief supplies, and sustainable mitigation measures to protect vulnerable communities from recurring landslide disasters in the Namisindwa District, located on the slopes of Mount Elgon.

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We are sleeping in houses that could collapse at any time. Every day we fear for our lives, but we have nowhere else to go.