Mwanza — About 4,000 residents of Muleba District in Kagera Region, have been rendered homeless as a result of heavy rain that was accompanied with strong winds.

The rain has affected residents of 10 sub-villages in Mubunda ward in the district.

Muleba district commissioner Angelina Mabulla, said yesterday that at least 1,771 acres of banana and beans farms had been destroyed by last week's rain that also wrecked havoc in Kitoko, Kisoju and Nyakasenyi sub-villages.

Victims of damage caused by rain in are now in dire need of at least 294 tonnes of relief food, the Government said yesterday.

Ms Mabula said agriculture and disaster management experts are in the area to assess basic supplies needs for 10 affected sub-villages in Mubunda ward.

She said 184 tonnes of maize and 110 of beans are required and that the process of applying for relief food from the Government Strategic Grain Reserves (SGR), had started.

Ms Mabula, however, did not explain if the affected villagers were also in need of other humanitarian aid such as tents, blankets and medicines.

The loss incurred as a result of the damage caused by rain, according to the district commissioner, stood at Sh1.3 billion.

The rain left 822 households with 4,448 family members homeless, as roofs of 21 houses were pulled down.

Roofs of public buildings like schools, churches, mosques and teachers' houses were also pulled down by the rain.

Ms Mabula named some of the affected areas as Kitoko, Kisoju and Nyakasenyi villages in Mubunda ward. Residents of the sub-villages were currently sharing shelter with neighbours, she explained.

"The Government is sending experts to the affected sub-villages to assess and determine actual loss caused by the rain and needed emergency humanitarian aid," she said.

The rain, which started at around 2:00pm last Sunday, lasted for over an hour, destroyed 1,644 acres of banana and beans farms, and 127 acres of maize.

The destruction comes two weeks after floods and landslides hit Goha village killing 24 people in Same District, Kilimanjaro Region.

Police sniffer dogs played a big role in the recovery of bodies buried under mud.

The landslides which swept eight houses, were caused by a three-day downpour on hilly areas.

UN warned last month that East Africa would face floods, mudslides, crop destruction and waterborne diseases as a result of heavy downpour triggered by El Nino weather patterns.

Most of Kilimajaro Region had been fighting long dry spells during the past few years, exacerbating floods because all vegetation had disappeared.

Following the landslides, the Same East Member of Parliament, Mrs Anne Kilango Malecela, said a monument would be built at the area in memory of those who lost their lives.