Learners bear the brunt of floods in Kyotera
KYOTERA | Flooding woes have hit Kyotera District, particularly in Kyeebe and Mutukkula town councils, raising concerns among parents and school going children alike.
The deluge has rendered crucial roads impassable, disrupting transport for school going learners and other daily routines.
Key arteries vital for ferrying students, including Lukalavvu road in Mutukula Town Council and Katebuuzi-Kampangi road in Kyeebe Town Council, have succumbed to the water's onslaught, leaving communities isolated and transportation services in disarray.
“We have to remove our shoes so that we pass in this water and we are afraid of getting water borne diseases because the water we pass in barefooted is not clean," said a pupil at Umar Education Centre in Mutukula.
Another pupil Aisha Kyomugabi added: “Some of our fellow pupils are no longer coming to school because of the fear of being drowned in water.”
A mother steadies herself on a boda as they approach a flooded section of the road
Residents in the affected areas have pointed fingers at edible oil producers BIDCO, whose extensive palm tree cultivation in Sango bay they say has obstructed natural waterways, exacerbating the flooding.
The proliferation of coconut plantations has resulted in the blocking of ditches, impeding the smooth flow of water and exacerbating the inundation crisis.
Consequently, the community finds itself grappling with the aftermath of these environmental disruptions, with students and pupils bearing the brunt of the inconvenience.
Parents are voicing their concerns over the safety and accessibility of their children's commute to school, fearing for their well-being amidst the treacherous conditions.
Women make the plash for a flooded section of a road in Kyotera
Local authorities have been called upon to address the pressing issue, urging swift action to alleviate the plight of affected residents and restore normalcy to the region.
Efforts are underway to engage relevant stakeholders, including BIDCO, in finding sustainable solutions to mitigate future flooding incidents and safeguard community interests.
However, according to Kyotera District chairperson Patrick Kintu Kissekkulo, the area is covered by bad roads and some roads that they have agreed with BIDCO to maintain them.
Kissekkulo also said some of the affected roads like Lukalavvu as a district do not have any plans of maintaining it since they belong to the newly allocated town council Mutukkula.
The floods cut off several roads in Kyotera, forcing many learners to make sacrifices to go to school
“Those new town councils and sub-counties have never received funds to run services and as a district we receive small funds to help them but I have ordered my town clerk to write for the ministry of works so that they get for them emergency funds so that they uplift the road," Kissekkulo said.
But Kisekulo assured residents that in a period of two weeks all the district belonging roads in bad state are going to be maintained since they have already got road funds worth Shs500 million.
“Of the Shs500 million, we have so far used Shs210 million and the rest is still on accounts," Kissekkulo said.
"We are soon to withdraw then and maintain roads though we are grappling with the challenge of shortage of graders because we have only one but I wrote to my counterpart in Rakai District to lend us his grader so that we work and after we also lend him ours and he works on his roads because the financial year is ending.”
Many districts in Greater Masaka are grappling with poor roads and the situation has worsened in this rainy season.
