BY INNOCENT KIIZA
They say that who laughs last, laughs best, Kasese flood victims finally soon receive their relief items at the Muhokya camp after Kasese the district task force welcomed a fresh assortment of over 1000 mosquito nets from the office of the prime minister.
The fresh assortment of mosquito nets arrives in the District barely a few days after the Uganda’s prime minister Rt Hon Robbina Nabbanja last week rejected a consignment of relief items including Mosquito nets and blankets which she described as substandard.
While receiving the relief items 27th July, the Kasese resident district commissioner (RDC) confirmed the receipt of 1000 mosquito nets from the office of the prime minister saying the items would be given to the flood victims at the Muhokya temporary IDP camp.
Masereka Hamis Asuman the chief administrative officer for Kasese District hailed government through the office of the prime minister for having intervened after Uganda’s premier Rt Hon Nabbanja expressed desertification over the relief items that were last week received in the District.
Hamis also revealed that through a phone call, the Rt Hon Minster has confirmed that good quality assorted blankets would soon be in the District to benefit the flood victims who since last year have been seeking refuge at Muhokya temporary camp.
It was a wash of comments on various social media platform and in the news dailies across the country after the Rt hon Minister rejected the relief items that was donated to Kasese flood victims with majority hailing Hon Nabbanja for his quality work towards the local persons.
The inadequacy in food supply by both government and well-wishers has largely created a big gap on people who largely depended on the donations.
March and May 2020 Kasese experienced heavy rains leading to occasional flooding and landslides in various parts of the district.
The Internally displaced people (IDPs) in Muhokya Transit Camp are questioning whether they are part of the groups that will receive covid-19 relief funds which the prime minister promised to release to specific categories.
“We are disappointed on how the government can specifically fail to consider people who were displaced by floods yet most of our daily earning resources were destroyed” Ms. Rehema Namale Aryema stressed.
Ms. Rehema Namale Aryema, the secretary general for the camp, revealed her dissatisfaction with the way the government is not considering them as vulnerable people.
“Most people in the camp only get one meal a day, others sleep on an empty stomach due to lack of what eat, we are almost seeing our death if government doesn’t consider us” Ms. Rehema wondered
Ms. Rehema wonders whether the Kasese Municipal Town Clerk and the Covid 19 task force is aware that most people in the camp only get one meal a day. She thus said that the IDPs qualify for the covid-19 relief fund.
Mr. Aston Bagonza Miregho whose houses were swept away by Nyamwamba river floods in May 2020 decries herds of cattle and goats that destroy their vegetable crops in the camp. He said that the government should relocate them to a permanent place where they can be settled instead of being in transit.
However, the Kasese Municipal Town Clerk Mr. Isaiah Tumwesigye narrated on phone that Internally Displaced people (IDPs) are not part of the interest groups to receive Covid-19 Relief Funds.
Muhokya transit Camp was temporarily created after Nyamwamba River floods in May 2020, which left thousands of people displaced.
Beneficiaries
Government named bus and taxi drivers plus conductors; baggage carriers, touts, wheelbarrow pushers, traffic guides and loaders in tax and bus parks, stages and other areas like Kikuubo.
The minister said that government will also send Covid relief cash to barmen, DJs, barmaids, waiters, waitresses and bouncers, gym and restaurant workers, food vendors in tax, bus parks and arcades, musicians, comedians, producers, promoters, salon and massage parlor employees, teachers and support staff in both government and private schools but are not on payroll, car washers, slum dwellers, street vendors, shoe shiners, orphans and vulnerable children.
From Wednesday 6th May 2020 to 20th May 2020, the district experienced serious flooding due to the simultaneous bursting of the 7 rivers of Lhubiriha, Mubuku, Nyamwamba, Nyamugasani, Sebwe, Rwembyo and Thaku across the 23 Sub-counties and 2 divisions of Kasese Municipality.
As a result, property, Crops, Human Lives, and infrastructure both private and government including schools, bridges, roads, and health facilities were completely destroyed. This also resulted in internal displacement of persons scattered and hosted at various Institutions-schools and churches.
Earlier On the 14th of December 2020, the Office of the Prime Minister together with Kasese district local government made a decision to temporarily relocate and resettle all the 289 displaced families on Muhokya Sub-County land about 30 acres besides Muhokya Health Center III.
The recently concluded assessment exercise results revealed that 289 households (1,445) persons need continuous support since their sources of livelihoods have been obliterated.
Speaking to our reporter in an interview at Rukoki district headquarters on Tuesday, Joseph Thembo Isingoma the camp focal person reported inadequacy in food supply by both government and well-wishers.
Young children, mothers, and adults are spending days on an empty stomach which may result in malnutrition or death, he noted!
Other challenges.
Joseph Thembo observed that the affected persons have and still face challenges of Limited water supply. One tap stands located at Muhokya sub-county headquarters currently serves a population of over 400 households IDPs and the neighboring community. Lack of latrine/bath facilities hence the community has resorted to using the nearby bush as disposal sites.
He said, there are Limited lighting facilities. The camp currently accommodates about 289 households but has only 3 solar panels installed which are not enough to provide lights to the whole community.
Joseph added that, Inadequate medical supplies at Muhokya HCIII. As a result of poor feeding, the community has increasingly become vulnerable to sickness, putting pressure on the available medical services. No shelter, Majority of the Households are hit by direct sunshine and heavy rains. Tarpaulins provided earlier are torn and hence unsuitable for people to stay.
There are no sanitary pads for women and girls yet they form the majority of the camp. Inadequacy in supply of soap and lastly majority of the people in the camp do not have blankets which mostly affects young children.
Worries.
If physical social support is not provided to the victims or stressed community, then teenage pregnancies, early marriages, and gender based violence may arise.
If Wash Issues remain unaddressed then there could be another epidemic of disease outbreak like cholera, Malaria and many other Wash related epidemics.
Illnesses or death of our children and adults may as a result of poor feeding or hunger arise. If tarpaulins for temporary shelters are not provided in time, then victims will be hit by rains and sunshine.
End.
