Abdulkarim Ssengendo
9 October 2007
Kampala — HEAVY rains on Saturday hit Mwizi sub-county in Mbarara district damaging four schools, 30 houses, a church, parish offices and crops. The sub-county chairman, Vanansi Rurema, said the schools were St. Jude's Bushweere, Kikunda and Kyonyo primary schools and Bushweere United Secondary School.
At St. Judes, six classrooms and a library were damaged. The roofs of some teachers' quarters, school kitchen and store were blown off, he said.
A classroom and staff room at Kikunda Primary School were damaged.
Rurema said a classroom at Kyonyo Primary School was also damaged, while three classrooms and an office at Bushwere Secondary School were damaged. Laboratory and teaching aids were also destroyed.
Rurema added that Kyonyo Catholic Church was also destroyed.
Over 200 hectares of banana plantations, beans, cassava, sweet and Irish potatoes and sorghum were destroyed, he noted.
The Mbarara district inspector of schools, Chris Mbabazi, expressed concern that the pupils did not have classrooms.
Dennis Tumusime, a resident of Mwizi whose children study at Bushwere Secondary School, said: "We are distressed! We started the secondary school to help children whose parents could not afford to take them to far-away schools but now the school is destroyed."
The LC2 chairman of Bushwere parish, Anthony Tumukunzi, called upon the Government to assist the victims.
The Mbarara district LC5 chairman, Yaguma Rutashokwa, accompanied by district leaders visited the area on Monday.
Yaguma contributed 100 iron sheets and other building materials to St. Jude's Primary School and promised that the district would contribute sh30m to re-build the classrooms. He said a report on the issue would be sent to the Government for more assistance.
Yaguma advised the residents to use strong building materials for their houses and schools because they are located in hilly places, which are prone to disasters.
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