By Dedan Kimathi and Mary Karugaba
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has urged farmers across the country to utilise ongoing rains by starting to plant crops.
She made the call during plenary on Thursday, February 15, 2024. This was during the Prime Minister’s Time segment.
“We already have a report and the country is already aware. The report came out in January but I think we need to more, in using the media. I want to urge Ugandans to start planting now. It is going to rain until May,” Nabbanja said.
She was responding to concerns that were earlier raised by Hellen Kahunde (Kiryandongo District Woman MP, NRM).
“We have not received an official report from the meteorological department guiding our farmers on what to do with the rainfall. Prime Minister, can you guide our farmers on what to do with rainfall and also inform us any likely effects of such early rainfall,” Kahunde said.
Disasters
For close to a week, heavy rains have destroyed property and crops in various parts of Uganda.
On Tuesday this week, Julius Acon (Otuke East, NRM) told Parliament that a health centre and primary school in Olilim sub-county, Otuke district were greatly affected by a storm. He also urged the Government to come to the aid of the affected people.
Government responds
In response, State Minister for Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Refugees Esther Anyakun promised to assess the damage. She, however, clarified they do not have readily available iron sheets.
Related developments
In a related development, Isiah Sasaga (Budadiri East, FDC) says residents in his constituency are also struggling to come to terms with a devastating hailstorm that destroyed countless property in Mulisha and Bukiise sub-counties.
The downpour also claimed a number of crops in the same sub county, leaving farmers in dire straits.
“My prayer is that especially for the primary school, the schools have just resumed, this is a primary three block it was affected. The Ministry could look at the most intermediate solution, if you can provide for example the temporal tarpaulins or tent or iron sheets as the district is planning for the reconstruction of the classroom block, ministry of disaster could come in and mitigate that effect,” he implored.
“Then with the crops as usual of course, we shall need some food if you have it in stock and the most sustainable one since rains have started, it could be good if we had some seeds and give communities to plant,” he added.
In the same breath, it is also understood that residents of Ngora sub-county are also counting losses following a downpour destroyed crops and a fuel station in Mukura town council.
Stella Apolot Isodo (Ngora District Woman MP, FDC) said the disaster has worsened the already precarious food situation.
“Out of the 11 sub-counties of Ngora district, five of them are affected, Ngora town council, Odwarat, Mukura town council and Mukura. The magnitude of the disaster has been captured in the report from the district production office,” Isodo revealed on Tuesday.
Like her colleagues, she also seeks early maturing plants such as sweet potato vines, cassava planting materials and dry rations that will sustain the households in the meantime.
