Panic has gripped residents of Bumboi in Mbale City after the ground suddenly caved in, creating a wide depression and spreading cracks that continue to threaten homes and public infrastructure.
The situation has forced several families to flee in fear of disaster.
The most affected villages include Kiduwa, Kidobo, Magahala, and Shidula, where residents have watched in horror as their houses slowly sank along newly formed fault lines.
Sarah Kainza, a resident, narrated how her home collapsed gradually.
“The crack struck at around 9pm when we were in the sitting room, and from that day the house sunk bit by bit,” she said.
Mafabi Sulai, another resident, attributed the incident to heavy rainfall that lasted about an hour before the ground gave way.
Bumboi Primary School, a government-aided institution, is among the public facilities at risk. Cracks have split through classrooms that host lower primary pupils, raising alarm ahead of the new school term.
“I have a lot of fears because having children in such a class puts them at very high risk,” said the headteacher, David Livingstone Wamono.
Similar ground cracks have also been reported in the neighbouring districts of Namisindwa, Sironko, and Bulambuli.
According to Jamal Godi, a geologist at the Islamic University in Uganda, the phenomenon is linked to slope failure triggered by human activity and intensified by heavy rains.
“Slope failure is exactly what is causing these cracks. Slopes adjust themselves to reach an equilibrium at a critical angle. When increased rainfall seeps into the ground, it weakens the soil, undercuts materials, and detaches them from the main slope, leaving behind fault lines,” Godi explained.
Authorities in Mbale are yet to issue an official statement, but residents remain on edge as the cracks continue to expand, putting more homes and infrastructure at risk.
