Government has urged Ugandans to avoid or vacate disaster-prone areas ahead of the September-December 2026 El Niño rains to avoid massive losses.
This follows a declaration by the Ministry of Water and Environment that most parts of Uganda will receive rainfall about 25 percent above the long-term average, with wet conditions likely to spill over into the normally dry months of January and February 2027.
The rains are expected to trigger flash floods, severe storms, landslides, waterlogging, damage to infrastructure and disease outbreaks.
The public has been warned to avoid settling or farming in high-risk areas, never cross flooded roads, bridges or rivers, avoid sheltering under trees during thunderstorms, and ensure children are accompanied to and from school.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, September 17, at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Mr Alex Kakooza, the Permanent Secretary at the OPM, warned people in Elgon sub-region, Bundibugyo, Kasese, Ntoroko, Kisoro and other high-risk areas to move to safer places.
He urged residents to prioritise safety and called on government to expedite construction of alternative routes as rains may cut off major roads.
“We are asking these people to come down, to leave those places to areas of safety, so that when the landslides happen, we don’t lose lives,” Kakooza said.
“For individuals, we need to move to areas of safety. We know areas that have already been categorised as risky,” he added.
Kakooza also called for protection of learners, including candidates sitting Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE), Uganda Certificate of Education (UCE) and TVET exams, urging the Ministry of Education and Sports to put in place protection plans.
Government says it has disseminated early warning messages across the country and developed an El Niño Contingency and Response Plan 2026/27 to guide response efforts, now awaiting Cabinet approval.
The varying rainfall patterns are attributed to climate drivers including El Niño, the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD), the Intertropical Convergence Zone and the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO).
Uganda is prone to disasters. According to a 2023 report by the Department of Relief, Disaster Preparedness and Management, the country lost about 1,066 people between January and November 2023 due to natural and man-made calamities.