The hailstorm ravaged banana plantations and gardens of cassava, coffee, and tea, leaving over 700 families in need of urgent relief.
Residents of Kakanju Sub-County in Bushenyi District are counting their losses following a devastating hailstorm that destroyed plantations and gardens in the area.
On Tuesday evening, the villages of Nombe A, Nombe B, Kigondo B, and Katunga were severely impacted by the storm, which began at around 4pm.
The hailstorm ravaged banana plantations and gardens of cassava, coffee, and tea, leaving over 700 families in need of urgent relief.
The affected families are now appealing for government assistance, specifically requesting seeds for replanting and food relief to sustain them over the next three months.
"The hailstorm started at about 4pm. I was in a SACCO meeting, and when I returned home, I found my plantation badly damaged. My cassava was also destroyed," said Adrine Mwebaze, a resident of Nombe B.
Betesi Baguma, a resident of Nombe A, described the extent of the damage.
"This hailstorm was overwhelming, and all our plantations were wiped out. This is the second time it has happened in less than two weeks," she said.
Local environmentalists have attributed the disaster to environmental degradation in the area.
Abiaz Mugizi, the LC2 chairman of Katunga, said: "It was mostly hail with very little rain. The most affected crops include cassava, coffee, and bananas. We are gathering information from the affected families to submit a report to the district authorities."
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Lauben Kananga, the LC3 chairman of Kakanju Sub-county, confirmed that this was the second hailstorm in the region since September 7, with about 700 families affected across the four villages.
"If the government can provide us with fast-growing seeds like beans, peas, millet, and groundnuts, it would greatly help our people," Kananga said.
Vincent Kataate, the senior environmental officer for Bushenyi District, linked the disaster to the ongoing degradation of the environment.
"We used to have wetlands in Kakanju and forests in the neighboring sub-counties of Ruhumuro and Bitooma, which connected to the central forest reserve of Karinju. These have been depleted over time due to charcoal burning, leaving the land bare," Kataate explained.
He warned that the situation could worsen without action.
"The winds are moving unchecked, and the rain cycle is incomplete, which explains the hailstorms. This could happen in any part of the district unless we start planting more trees."
The affected families are now anxiously awaiting government intervention as they work to recover from the devastating storm.
