Health

Victims of deadly food, landslide defied God, logic – Uganda president

Last updated on September 11th, 2021 at 03:11 pm

NiUgandan president Yoweri Museveni says death and losses from recent flooding and landslides in parts of the country was down to people defying logic in where they choose to stay.
“These losses, on account of floods and landslides, are, mainly, due to the mistake of insisting on settling (living) in areas that logic and God did not intend for human habitation. These are the wetlands (and steep mountains of 31-32% gradient or more than that,” said in a tweet thread on Tuesday.
He expressed condolences to families of twenty-six people who were killed in two areas – Elgon and Rwenzori, stressing that people had to accept government efforts at resettlement in order to avert any further disasters.
Seventeen flooding deaths were confirmed in the western district of Bundibugyo. Whiles the other nine were reported in the mountainous districts of Sironko and Bududa in the east, said Irene Nakasiita, a spokeswoman for the Uganda Red Cross.
Ugandan government officials have acknowledged the continuing threat from flooding and say relief is forthcoming to affected areas. Residents are being urged to move away from areas where rivers and streams have burst their banks.
More than 6,000 people have been displaced in Bududa, a rugged area in the foothills of Mount Elgon where mudslides have killed hundreds of people over the years. Some there have resisted the government’s attempts to have them relocated to lowlands elsewhere, saying they find it hard to vacate their ancestral lands.
“The risk of more flooding and landslides is real,” Musa Ecweru, the government minister in charge of disasters, said in a statement Thursday.
Hundreds of acres of plantations have been destroyed and an unknown number of livestock lost in the flooding and mudslides in Bududa and Sironko, Eweru said.
In March 2010 at least 100 people died in mudslides in Bududa, and injuries or deaths have been reported every year since then during the wet season.

Albert Echetah

Recent Posts

Prince William Concludes four-day visit to Cape Town to promote conservationand climate change in South Africa

William met with volunteers at the National Maritime Rescue Institute station in Simon'sTown, near Cape Town, before boarding the boat…

November 8, 2024

Morocco’s Population Surges to 36.8Million Over the Last Decade

As of September 1st 2024, there were around 36.8 million Moroccans. The governmentspokeswoman revealed the figure on Thursday, November 7th.Spokesman…

November 8, 2024

How Trump’s Win Could Reshape U.S.-Africa Relations

Donald Trump, the oldest president of America and the first convicted felon has led to a lot of arguments in…

November 8, 2024

Sudan’s Civil War Sparks Regional Concerns for Neighboring Nations

According to a top UN official, Sudan's conflict is increasingly damaging the region with overflowing consequences into neighbouring South Sudan…

November 7, 2024

Why the US elections matter to Ghanaians

Thousands of kilometres apart, the political, economic and ideological links between Ghanaand the United States make the American elections very…

November 6, 2024

African Teams Battle in the Latest Roundof AFCON 2025 Qualifiers

It’s another round of Afro qualifiers for the 2025 African Cup of Nations as nationalteams set their sights on making…

November 6, 2024

This website uses cookies.