Musoma. One child has died, while more than 400 houses have been damaged in Bunda and Rorya districts in Mara Region following El Niño rains currently affecting various parts of the country.
The report was issued in Musoma on Saturday, October 31, 2026, by Mara Regional Commissioner, Brigadier General Evans Mtambi, while delivering condolence messages at the funeral of Inspector General of Police (IGP) Camillus Wambura’s father, Deusdedit Wambura, 100.
“Unfortunately, we lost one child in Rorya, while more than 400 houses have sustained varying degrees of damage in Rorya and Bunda districts so far,” he said.
He urged residents to continue taking precautions, while condemning individuals who had been ridiculing weather forecasts warning of El Niño rains.
He said the rains were real and had already started, with damage being reported.
He directed people living in valleys and other high-risk areas to relocate immediately to avoid potential disasters.
“Let me tell you that El Niño is here and has begun. The day before yesterday, I received a phone call from Bunda from a resident who said it was not ordinary rain but a deluge, with water pouring as if from a tank. I urge all of us to continue taking precautions because there are dangers we can avoid if we remain vigilant,” he said.
Brigadier General Mtambi said other precautionary measures, apart from relocating from high-risk areas, included keeping pupils away from school whenever dangerous weather conditions were anticipated to prevent possible disasters.
He also urged residents to continue with their economic activities, including cultivating crops that could withstand heavy rainfall, saying this would help strengthen food security and support the livelihoods of farmers and other citizens.
On October 24, 2026, Bunda District Commissioner, Dr Halfan Haule, said more than 360 houses had sustained varying degrees of damage, including collapsing, following El Niño rains accompanied by strong winds in Bunda District, Mara Region.
He said the situation had forced some families to seek shelter with relatives and friends, while the government had provided food assistance to affected households.
He added that assessments of the damage were still ongoing, clarifying that 50 of the affected houses had collapsed completely and were no longer habitable, adding that three wards in the district had so far been affected.
He said the rains, which fell on October 21 and 22, 2026, affected Kabasa, Hunyari and Mcharo wards, all within Bunda Town Council.
“In Nyamilama Street, 65 houses were affected, six of which collapsed completely, while food supplies were washed away by the water. The affected families are staying with relatives. We visited all the affected areas and established that food was their immediate need, so we provided assistance to the victims,” he said.
He appealed to stakeholders to contribute building materials to help affected homeowners rebuild their houses and resume their normal lives.