Devastating mudslides triggered by relentless heavy overnight Wednesday rains have swept through villages in Kween and Bukwo districts, leaving at least nine people dead, several injured, and hundreds of families displaced, residents said on Thursday.
The slides were amid flooding in some areas, triggered by overnight downpour that left patches of key roads covered or surrounded by water.
In Kaptanga Village, Tuikat Sub-county, Kween District, the landslide buried three homes in the span of moments, killing six people, including five from a single family.
Among the victims were Cavin Kapkwomu, his wife Sarah, and their two young children, Jonathan and an unidentified one-year-old.
They were asleep when the mudslide engulfed their home.
Nearby, a five-year-old girl, daughter of Kapsus Mongusho, also perished, while her parents sustained injuries.
In Bukwo District, another landslide in Chepkubortin Village, Nyalit Parish, Chesower Sub-county, killed three more and left several others hospitalized, sources said.
The destruction left villagers in shock, with dozens of acres of crops buried and several homes reduced to rubble.
Early Thursday, some bodies could be seen in footage from the affected areas as locals and first responders dug through thick layers of mud with rudimentary tools, searching for survivors.
‘We have never seen anything like this before. The landslide took everything along, including people. We are in pain,’ Justine Yariwo, a resident of Kaptanga Village, told Monitor.
Joseph Cherotich, another resident, recalled the terrifying night saying: ‘I was asleep when I heard the sound of the mud coming down. It was like thunder. I grabbed my children and ran. My neighbour’s house was totally demolished-they lost one person.’
The displaced families are now homeless, with many sheltering under makeshift structures. ‘The village is in shock. Recovery will be long and challenging without government support,’ said Chemutai, a Kaptanga resident.
Local officials have urged the government to act swiftly.
David Mande Kapcheronge, LCV councillor for Tuikat Sub-county, called for urgent relocation of families in high-risk areas.
‘We appeal for immediate assistance like rescue operations, relief supplies, medical aid and compensation for lost crops and livestock,’ he said.
Kween District LCV Chair Geoffrey Chelogoi said around 100 households require urgent relocation.
‘The disaster is a wake-up call. People in Sebei [region], especially those living on steep slopes, are sitting on a time bomb, like their counterparts in Bugisu,’ he said.
In 2024, the government launched a cash transfer program to accelerate the relocation of residents in landslide-prone areas, targeting 4,827 households nationwide. Bududa had the largest share with 2,050 households, while Kween was slated to relocate 254 households. Despite the plan, many at-risk communities have yet to benefit.
Environmentalists warn of continued landslides due to soil erosion and poor land management.
‘The only viable solution is for locals to embrace planting indigenous trees, digging trenches, terracing, and adopting better farming practices,’ said Wiberforce Walukano of Manafwa Watershed Restoration and Stewardship Project (MWARES).
On her part, Grace Yariwo, Kween District Secretary for Gender, highlighted the impact on local development programs.
‘Apart from losing lives, people’s livelihoods have been destroyed,’ she said.
Kween Woman MP Rose Emma Cherukut said she intends to raise the issue in Parliament. ‘Our community is in crisis. Prompt government intervention is needed to make a significant difference in the lives of those affected and those still at risk of looming disasters,’ she said.
As rain continues to pound the region, villagers remain in fear of further landslides.
Many locals who spoke to Monitor said ‘they will spend nights huddled together, watching the unstable slopes above their homes, wondering if their communities can withstand nature’s wrath.’
Steep slopes, deadly risks
Kween District and its neighbouring highland areas in eastern Uganda are in a region authorities classify as prone to ‘geomorphological and geological hazards’ due to the area’s stony, cliffy, and steeply sloping landscape.
Kween and Bukwo are among several districts on the slopes of Mount Elgon that regularly experience deadly mudslides during prolonged rainfall, displacing dozens of families and destroying crops.
Experts have long warned that uncontrolled settlement on steep terrain, combined with deforestation and erratic weather patterns, continues to expose communities to disaster.
Yet relocation and preventive measures have largely failed to protect vulnerable households.
On Thursday morning, residents called for urgent government relief and recovery support, fearing more communities could be swept away if annual rains persist.