The Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja rushed to Mt Elgon region to access the magnitude of the damage caused by floods from Mount Elgon .
Nabbanja using a police chopper landed at Maluku grounds in Mbale City at 2:30pm and was received by Mbale Resident City Commissioner (RCC) Ahmed Washaki and Mbale industrial City Division Mayor, Muhamudu Masaba Mutenyo.
Nabanjja was shortly led to the RCC’s office for a brief emergency meeting with Mbale City leadership headed by Mbale city commissioner.
After about 30minutes, Nabanjja was taken to the scene to access the magnitude of the flash floods that killed people and destroyed property worthy billions of shillings were destroyed. She also visted the City morgue where six bodies laid.
Nabanjja proceeded to Nabuyonga Bridge where hundreds of residents had gathered searching for the missing people. She later visited the Mbale City mortuary where the bodies were being taken for postmortem which was being conducted by the Eastern Region Police Surgeon Dr. Barnabas Rubanza with help of Dr. Dominic Wabuloko.
Nabanjja also visited SINO Uganda Industrial park in Industrial City Division where she found that property worthy billions of shillings was submerged in water.
She also visited Bunghoko bridge along Mbale – Tororo road that had partly curved in and traffic was left paralyzed with a section of the road cut off.
Nabbanja interacted with some survivors and a 72-year-old woman Aida Nabugweri narrated how she survived the floods that hit them at night.
Earlier, the Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja had directed that relief food be sent to Mbale to help those that had been displaced by floods.
Shortly after assessing the affected families and residents, she addressed the residents and assured them that government was determined to extend assistance to the affected families after finding out the real number of people are affected.
She condoled with the families and relatives of the deceased and told them that she had been sent by the President to assess the impact of flash floods and extend his condolence message.
Nabbanjja said that the flash floods could have been avoided if people had not tempered with the River banks and environment. She added that it was not proper for residents to continue degrading the environment and also constructing in the swamps and wetlands.
The Premier said that her office was in touch with other different stakeholders to see that affected families were given assistance in time and that those affected be relocated.
She contributed sh1m to each of the bereaved family to help them in burial arrangements.
Elgon Region police surgeon/police pathologist Dr. Barnabas Rubanza confirmed that the death toll has scaled up to 11 people from 9 at the time of reporting.
Meanwhile, two people were to have been killed by falling stones in Kapchorwa District following heavy rains that has also been experienced in Kapchorwa.
