Storm Leaves Lwengo Villages in Ruins, Hundreds Displaced

Devastation in Malongo Sub-County

Heavy rains have caused widespread destruction in three villages within Malongo sub-county, Lwengo District. The affected areas—Lwemiyaga, Lwentale, and Kiganda—have seen homes destroyed, crops washed away, and hundreds of residents left without food or shelter. The severity of the situation has left many in a state of despair, with families struggling to cope after losing everything they had.

Moses Kitamanyirwe, chairperson of Lwemiyaga village, described the storm as one of the most intense in recent memory. He noted that the rain flattened houses, banana plantations, and other crops, leaving people with nothing. "This rainstorm left people with nothing. Houses collapsed, gardens were destroyed, and families are now stranded in the cold," he said.

The impact has been particularly severe on vulnerable groups such as widows and elderly individuals without caretakers. These groups are now relying on the support of neighbors to survive. Children in the area are also suffering, especially those whose caregivers were away during the storm. For instance, some children lost their grandmother, who was in Kampala receiving hospital treatment.

Nicholas Abimanya, a resident of the area, expressed his deep concern about the future. "We survived the rain, but what will kill us now is hunger. We have nowhere to sleep. Everything was destroyed — our food crops, fruits like jackfruit and mangoes, all gone," he lamented.

Enock Katoroogo, the village councillor of Lwemiyaga, called the storm one of the worst disasters ever to hit the region. He emphasized that nothing was spared from the devastation and urged the government to provide immediate relief. "The destruction here is massive. People have lost everything. We are calling on government to come to our rescue," Katoroogo said.

District Chairperson Ibrahim Kitatta visited the affected villages to assess the damage firsthand. While expressing sympathy for the residents, he promised that a district disaster team would be dispatched to evaluate the extent of the destruction. This team will then recommend relief support through the Office of the Prime Minister and the Ministry of Disaster Preparedness. "I feel the pain of our people, but we shall not leave them alone. As district leadership, we shall forward our findings to the relevant ministries for support," Kitatta assured.

In addition to providing relief, Kitatta urged residents to take environmental conservation seriously. He warned that deforestation had worsened the storm's impact, stating that if there were more trees, the destruction might have been less severe. "If our area had more trees, this destruction would not have been so severe. We must embrace tree planting to protect ourselves from such disasters in the future," he advised.

Despite these efforts, residents remain concerned about their immediate survival. They emphasize that unless relief food, shelter materials, and seeds are provided urgently, they face imminent starvation and long-term suffering due to the loss of their livelihoods. The situation highlights the urgent need for coordinated action from both local and national authorities to support the affected communities and prevent further hardship.