More than 500 villages across five sub-counties in Namisindwa District are facing increased risk after large ground cracks widened following heavy rains, damaging homes, farmland and infrastructure.
The affected areas include Buwabwala, Bumumali, Tsekululu, Mukoto and Luwa Town Council, where residents reported fresh destruction after rainfall on Wednesday triggered landslides and flooding.
District Chairperson Emma Bwayo said an assessment conducted with local leaders found that the cracks were expanding, increasing the threat to lives and property.
“The cracks are expanding rapidly, and the risk to lives and property is very high. We are working with local leaders to assess the most urgent needs and coordinate support,” Mr Bwayo said.
Residents said several homes have developed deep fissures, while large sections of farmland planted with maize, beans and bananas have either been buried by landslides or washed away by floodwaters.
Timothy Nashimolo, a resident, said some families have already been displaced while others remain in areas considered vulnerable to further ground movement.
Local leaders are calling for emergency relief assistance and longer-term measures to address recurring landslide risks in the mountainous district.
Environmental expert David Okot warned that continued rainfall could worsen the situation if no intervention is undertaken.
Mr Bwayo said the district was compiling a report for submission to central government seeking emergency support and long-term mitigation measures.
“It is time for the government to treat this matter with the urgency it deserves. We should not wait for people to lose their lives before taking action,” he said.
Betty Nandutu, the district councillor representing Tsekululu and Bungati and secretary for social services, said many residents were spending nights in fear as floodwaters continued to enter homes.
“If government does not intervene quickly, hunger will become another disaster facing our people,” Ms Nandutu said.
She added that the destruction of crops could undermine household incomes and recovery efforts under the Parish Development Model, as many families rely on farming as their primary source of livelihood.
Several affected residents, including Khaukha Cassim, Makati Patrick and Elvis Wamono, said they had nowhere to relocate despite living in homes threatened by widening cracks.
“We are sleeping in houses that could collapse at any time. Every day we fear for our lives, but we have nowhere else to go,” Mr Wamono said.
Namisindwa lies within the Bugisu sub-region, which has experienced repeated landslides over the past decade. Districts including Bududa, Bulambuli, Sironko and Namisindwa have recorded numerous disasters that have killed hundreds of people and displaced thousands.
Among the deadliest incidents was the 2010 landslide in Nametsi village, Bududa District, which killed more than 100 people. Other major landslides occurred in Bududa in 2012 and 2018, while Bulambuli District recorded fatalities in both 2023 and 2024.
The government launched a resettlement programme in 2010 targeting communities living in high-risk areas. However, many households remain in landslide-prone zones, while some relocated families have struggled to adapt due to limited access to suitable agricultural land.