Two children died, and significant property damage occurred after heavy rains caused flash flooding in Moroto Municipality.
The two separate incidents happened on Wednesday following rains that lasted for four hours, causing major rivers in Narwosi and Katanga cells to burst their banks.
In Narwosi, two children, Lucia Ilukol and Hellen Aleper, both residents of Nawonyonoit village in Nadunget sub-county, were swept away by fast-flowing water. Ilukol drowned, and her body was retrieved, while Aleper was rescued by residents.
In another incident, Evalin Sabuwa, a two-year-old child, drowned after floods swept away the house she was sleeping in. Sabuwa was retrieved from the water and rushed to Moroto Regional Referral Hospital, where she died shortly after arrival.
Michael Longole, the Mt Moroto Regional Police Spokesperson, warned community members against crossing fast-flowing waters and establishing residential homes near river banks.
Residents blamed the municipal authorities for failing to establish a proper drainage system to manage the water flow. Thomas Omuge, a resident of Katanga cell, said several homes were submerged due to poor drainage systems. He also noted that solid waste management remains a significant challenge, with people dumping waste in streams, blocking the water flow.
Omuge urged the authorities to work on improving the drainage system and carry out continuous community sensitization on waste management.
Isaac Lokol, the LCIII Chairperson of South Division in Moroto Municipality, said that the bridges were blocked by logs, forcing the water to find alternative routes, which ended up submerging people’s homes. He noted that the floods had displaced many households.
Lokol also revealed that the rains had hindered the rehabilitation and construction of access roads within the municipality.
Gideon Longole, Moroto Deputy Town Clerk, acknowledged that several streams in the municipality had been silted and required urgent attention. He stated that a team had been dispatched to clear the blockages in the rivers, which were obstructed by logs, wood, and other materials.
Longole mentioned that a team of engineers had been sent to assess the state of the roads and bridges. Efforts to desilt the affected bridges are ongoing.