James Eriku
Moyo - Heavy rains that hit Moyo District in the last two weeks have displaced more than 100 families and destroyed hundreds of acres of farmland. The worst affected areas include Itula, Gimara, Aliba, Lefori and Dufile sub-counties.
Residents told Daily Monitor at the weekend that they had just started planting when the heavy rains washed away their seedlings. "They (floods) are back and we already have no where to turn to as our crops now stand in the waters," lamented Mr Rashid Otuki, a farmer from Itula.
In Aliba, which lies along the belt of the River Nile, several latrines and huts have sunk, leading to fears of a cholera outbreak. One resident said only two latrines remained standing in his village, and many of the residents have now resorted to easing themselves in nearby bushes and the river.
The area last suffered a cholera outbreak two years ago which left 24 people dead in just three months. District authorities told Daily Monitor that the area had been experiencing floods for the past two weeks due to heavy rains. Moyo LC5 chairman Peter Iku Dolo, who visited the flood hit areas last week, said most roads, including had become impassable.
The road from Obongi to Moyo, which is the main link between the district headquarters and Obongi, has also been temporarily closed.
In the last financial year, the works ministry released over Shs500 million for grading the Moyo-Obongi road but the work has been deemed substandard as some of the repaired parts have already been washed away by the torrential rains.
"The area is likely to be affected by famine," Mr dolo said.
He appealed to the Disaster Preparedness Ministry to consider supporting the district with emergency food and shelter.