A powerful storm has ravaged several villages in Ruhaama East County, Ntungamo District, leaving widespread destruction and despair among residents. Homes were ripped apart, plantations flattened, and hopes for a productive harvest washed away.
The storm, which struck around 3 p.m., was accompanied by fierce winds and hailstones that wreaked havoc across Nyakasa, Kafunjo, Katagata, Namirembe One, and Namirembe Two cells.
It destroyed food crops such as beans, bananas, and maize, tore off rooftops, and toppled house walls, leaving many families homeless and fearful for their future.
Many affected households had invested heavily in their farms, often using borrowed funds or loans accessed through the Parish Development Model (PDM). With their crops gone, those investments have turned into losses.
“At around 3 p.m., a heavy storm accompanied by rain, strong winds, and hailstones destroyed plantations and crops. Several houses were also damaged by the wind,” said Ordomalo Buhangire, the LC1 chairperson of Nyakasa Cell.
“We call on the government and the people of Uganda to help us because we had taken loans from banks and PDM funds, which we invested in our plantations.”
The destruction has left residents emotionally shattered. Mary Turyakira, one of the affected residents, said her dream home collapsed before she could even move in.
“My house was affected, and one of the walls collapsed, although I had not yet started living in it since it was still under construction,” she said.
Others, like Joy Kyotungire, now face the dual loss of shelter and food.
“My kitchen was blown away by the wind; the iron sheets were damaged, and the poles were broken. The plantation was also destroyed,” she said, pointing at the wreckage that was once her compound.
For beekeeper Robert Musinguzi, the storm destroyed not just his crops but his livelihood.
“At around 3 p.m., the rains affected our plantations. Personally, I had bee hives, and some were destroyed by the rain. I appeal to the government for help,” he said.
The devastation has been overwhelming for residents like Fausta Tumushabe, who watched her entire banana plantation wiped out.
“We were hit by the storm; all the plantations and gardens were destroyed. We ask the government to come to our aid,” she pleaded.
As dawn broke, the once-green landscape of Ruhaama East lay in ruins — debris scattered across fields, banana plants uprooted, iron sheets strewn along blocked roads. The smell of damp soil and despair hung in the air.
For many, the storm did more than destroy crops and homes — it shattered livelihoods and left the community staring at possible hunger in the months ahead.
Local leaders have begun assessing the extent of the damage, but residents are urging the government to provide immediate relief in the form of food, roofing materials, and financial support.
Without urgent intervention, what was once a thriving agricultural community risks sliding into a food crisis.
For now, the people of Ruhaama East stand amid wreckage and uncertainty, hoping that their cries for help will not go unheard.
