EXPOSED: Over 200 residents were in April 2023, left homeless after heavy rains characterized by strong winds destroyed over 40 homes in Kyesiiga sub-county, Masaka District.
House roofs were blown off by the strong winds and several acres of banana, coffee, maize, cassava plantations were put down.
At least 10 villages in Bbuliro and Kitunga Parishes of Kyesiiga Sub County in Bukoto central constituency were affected. These include BBuliro, Gayaza, Ddimu landing site, Katikamu, Miwololo, Malembo landing site, Mweruka A, B, C, Mikunyu, Bigga, Lukono among others
When all this happened, the affected communities raised alarm to their leaders including area sub county chairpersons, District leaders and members of Parliament to help render emergency assistance.
As the area Member of Parliament, Hon. Richard Sebamala of Bukoto Central Constituency asked the Masaka District Disaster management committee to compile a report with the names of all the affected families.
The Hon. Sebamala immediately penned down a letter on April 19th and the same letter was re-written on 25th April 2023, to the Office of the Prime minister (OPM) requesting for relief support.
“This is to draw your attention towards this constituency which was hit by a hailstorm on 17th April 2023. The resulted into destruction of people’s plantations, houses and crops leaving hundreds of households without food or shelter…… I write to you to seek relief and contribution from your Organisation to help my people cope with the challenges they are facing at hand as stated above to enable them have a decent living. I request for help in form of; seeds for the locals to grow fast growing crops, food like maize flour, beans among others, iron sheets for the locals whose houses capsized.” the letter partially reads.
The letter was approved by the Minister of state for relief disaster preparedness & refugees on 25th April and the OPM organised to deliver the relief items which Sebamala requested for.
The Office of the Prime Minister on 2nd May 2023, delivered 20,000kg of Maize flour, 10,000kg of beans and 88 tarpaulins to the Masaka district Disaster Management committee to distribute to families affected by the disastrous storm in Kyesiiga.
The affected families in Kyesiiga sub county praised Hon. Sebamala for his tireless efforts towards lobbying for his communities both in times of grief and joy.
However, some politicians like Justine Nameere, Minister Haruna Kasolo and others jumped onto the OPM relief to Masaka to gain cheap popularity from communities. They posed for pictures, lied to the public that they talked to the Prime Minister to lobby for the relief, made social media posts praising themselves for doing nothing, but in actual sense they didn’t know how and when was the relief requested for.
This website has learnt that the politicians seeking cheap popularity from the delivered food items want to contest for various positions in Masaka District.
Kyesiiga Sub County has always been affected by strong winds blowing from Lake Victoria since most of the forests along the lake shores were destroyed by timber harvesting companies and charcoal burners which left the area so open with no wind traps.
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