Government warns of flooding as Lake Victoria water levels rise
By Moses Ndhaye
The government has issued yet another warning to the people living along the shores of Lake Victoria as water levels continue to rise.
The latest warning is issued by the Assistant Commissioner in Charge of Forestry in the Ministry of Water and Environment Issa Katwesige,” the law has been very clear in terms of close the we should be and i am sorry to be carrier of bad news actually it is just the beginning for the lake level to rise because it will continue to rain…”Katwesige said.
He made the remarks in Kampala on Tuesday morning, while officiating at the signing of a memorandum of understanding which will see the NCBA Bank and the National Forestry Authority partner to plant 30 hectares of trees at Jubiya Forest Reserve in Masaka, under the initiative code-named “Change the Story” initiative.
This comes as the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) estimates that close to 750,000 East Africans have been affected by the rains and floods, with 234,000 displaced.
According to UN News, the UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric, told reporters in New York on Monday that hundreds of thousands of lives have been impacted by recent heavy rainfall and massive floods in parts of Eastern Africa as the UN continues to offer support to governments across the region.
He added that the UN and its partners continue to support these Eastern African countries through flood response plans, evacuation efforts and healthcare, including psychosocial support.
Last week, UN Secretary-General António Guterres also said he was deeply distressed over the loss of life due to heavy flooding in Burundi, Kenya, Somalia, Tanzania and other parts of East Africa.
In Kenya, local authorities warned that over 285,000 lives have been affected so far, with more than 200 reported deaths.
In Burundi, more than 180,000 people were impacted. Additionally, dozens of Rwandans have been killed or injured due to the rains and floods.
