Africa-Press – Uganda. At least 200 people are homeless after devastating cyclonic winds swept through Kirewe Island on Buvuma Island overnight Saturday.
The wind, amidst rainstorm characterized by lightning and thunderstorms, started at 8pm and lasted two hours, destroying several shops and drinking joints.
According to Kirewe Island chairperson Ali Muwonge, a few minutes after it started raining, a funnel –shaped tornado descended and covered a section of the atmosphere for several minutes.
Locally, islanders call such a phenomenon Ensoke (tornado).
“Whenever rain is charactised by lightning and thunderstorms, it usually brings Ensoke. It left many houses razed to the ground and residents are currently sleeping in the open,” he told on Sunday.
He described the situation dire and asked the government to swiftly intervene and assist the victims.
Lukayiyah Kabanda, one of the affected residents, said the storm that de-roofed his home also destroyed his household items that were inside.
“I was in my bedroom and heard a massive sound. When I moved out to see what had happened, I saw the roof of my house in my neighbour’s compound and part of the house had already been brought to the ground,” she observed.
Ismail Maganda, another affected resident said: “We are left with nothing. We have nowhere to sleep, no food, everything was destroyed. Even if we are given tarpaulins for shelter, we will be grateful.”
Buvuma County Member of Parliament Robert Migadde told this publication that he is working closely with the district leadership to generate a list of victims to get relief from the Office of the Prime Minister.
“We stand with all residents whose houses got destroyed. We are doing our best to ensure that all victims receive relief to rebuild their lives,” he added.
August –December usually constitutes the second major rain season in Uganda but weather experts recently predicted that the rain will be destructive in some parts of the country, especially in the central region and urged the public to be alert.
Disasters ranging from strong rainstorm, mudslides, lightning and floods have in the past months battered several parts of the country, killing dozens of people and destroying crops and other property worth billions of shillings.
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