This week, Monitor ran a tragic story of a 23-year-old mother, Pronia Nyiramahoro, who was struck by lightning in Kisoro District on Tuesday evening. She left behind a breastfeeding baby and another three-year-old. Also injured at home during the light rain was the deceased’s mother-in-law, Topista Nyirakayonde.
Sadly, this incident marks the fifth lightning-related death in Kisoro within a month, highlighting the local vulnerability during the rainy season.
Among the recent fatal incidents are the death of 20-year-old Evaline Nyiramugisha and injuries to 14 students at St Paul’s Rugarambiro Secondary School. Local authorities have urged residents to exercise caution during such weather conditions.
According to the 2020 Annual State of Disaster Report published by the Office of the Prime Minister, Uganda, on average, gets 70 lightning strikes per square kilometre per year. From 2007 to 2014, about 586 people were killed by lightning, including 395 school learners. Also, 727 injuries were recorded in the same period.
In June, the Ministry of Education pledged to scale up lightning protection efforts in schools across Uganda, following a deadly series of lightning strikes that killed at least 10 people and injured more than 70 others between January and June.
The First Lady and Education minister made the commitment during the commemoration of International Lightning Safety Day in Lamwo District. The day is observed annually on June 28, marking the anniversary of when, in 2011, lightning struck Runyanya Primary School in Kiryandongo District, killing 18 pupils and injuring 38 others.
Lightning is one of Uganda’s deadliest natural hazards, yet largely preventable with the right actions. All schools and community buildings should have lightning protection, especially in high-risk districts. This is on top of educating the masses on implementing safety protocols and educating children about lightning risk. Since victims usually include people in rural areas, local leaders and teachers should also be trained in first aid for lightning injuries.
Also for long, stakeholders have asked the government to exempt lightning safety equipment from taxes. Players in the sector say high import taxes are hampering the lifesaving work.
‘We pay up to 35 percent in import duties. That money alone-if spared-could have protected three more schools,’ said Prof Mary Ann Cooper, the managing director of the African Centre for Lightning and Electromagnetics Network, in June.
Finally, the government should sensitise the public on the dos and don’ts during the rainy season, on top of investing in lightning alert systems. We might not be able to stop lightning from striking, but we can stop the deaths from happening.