Govt Cautions on Imminent Flash Floods Amid Heavy Rains

Government has issued an alert on the imminent torrential rains across different parts of the country, cautioning Ugandans to take precautions.

The Office of the Prime Minister which houses the Directorate of Relief and Disaster Preparedness warns that as the country experiences the peak rainfall of the first season, there are high chances of glass floods that will cut off roads and bridges.

This is contained in a communique by the Permanent Secretary in the Office of the Prime Minister to the Uganda Media Centre for circulation across the different media outlets.

“The country is experiencing peak rainfall of the first season, causing flash floods across many roads and bridges shortly after every rainfall,” the April 27 alert issued by Martin Owor reads in part.

It goes on to caution the public against taking “very high risk” of crossing the flooded bridges and roads, but instead wait for about 15 minutes for the situation to clear.

The alert comes at the backdrop of numerous flash floods in Kampala city and other parts of the country often cutting off roads.

Over the weekend, the same heavy rains caused landslides in the mountainous district of Bududa in Eastern Uganda, displacing some 500 households and destroying property including crops and houses.

The impact of the relentless rains has been no different in the South Western districts of Kanungu, Rukungiri, Kabale, Rubanda, Kisoro and Rukiga where roads, bridges and people’s gardens have been devastated on the last few days.

Last week, the Ntungwa bridge which connects the two districts of Kanungu and Rukungiri as well as the Ishasha bridge that connects Mpungu sub-county with Kinaaba were washed off by flash floods.