President Museveni has expressed his sympathies to the families of the victims of floods that hit the Kigezi region and Ntoroko district.
“Ugandans, Condolences on losing 23 people and 16 injured on account of the landslides and floods in the areas of Kigyezi and Ntoroko,” he said on Monday.
The President directed the State House Comptroller to give Shs5m each to the families of those who died and Shs1m each to those who were injured.
He said those losses of life re-emphasize the need to observe the environmental requirements strictly.
“There should be no buildings or gardens 50 metres from river banks (enkuungu y’Omugyera), 200 metres from the Lakeshore (emyegyeego y’enyaanja), no building on hills with a gradient greater than 30 degrees. Forests hold the soil and prevent the landslides,” he noted.
He added: “The roots of the trees hold the soil. The forests near the river banks and Lake shores filter the water going into the rivers or Lakes so that they do not silt. It is therefore wrong to interfere with this delicate work of God and nature.”