Dokolo | Floods have left more than 600 families stranded in Agwata Town Council in Dokolo district.
Heavy rainfall, combined with rising water levels on Lake Kyoga, Lake Kawnia, and the Kachung water point, triggered the flooding.
The LC5 chairperson of Dokolo district, James Otoo Apili, told news reporters over the weekend that the floods had affected six villages: Awany A cell, Arapa cell, Agerinono cell, Akwote A and B cells, and Acungu Apenyi.
Otoo added that the same incident also happened in 2023 where more than 200 families were left empty handed due to the effects of floods.
“I’m now requesting our government to come and support the affected families in order to save the lives of people,” he said.
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“I’m so disappointed with the food reliefs that the Office of the Prime Minister delivered last year to the affected families where out of 200 families, the government gave only 8 bags of posho and 4 bags of beans each and this is not fair,” he added.
The district chairman told the press that the government should come and secure the lives of the people in Dokolo district.
Tonny Obel Obala, LC3 chairperson of Agwata Town Council, stated that the floods have disorganised many families.
“I want to assure the government that apart from the displacement, it has also affected the learning of our children.”
Since last week when heavy floods displaced over 600 families, learning in some of the government primary schools like Kacung primary school, Kacung Junior primary school and Achoto primary school has collapsed.
The affected families are now using the aforementioned schools as temporary homes.
Rev. Father Alfred Okello spoke of the disaster. “I am encouraging our government to resolve this issue once and for all. Our biggest issues are on Lake Kyoga and Lake Kwania.
What happened in Kacung this year also happened in 2021 where more than 500 households were displaced, Okello recalled.
“Let the government react faster to address these challenges by donating some food reliefs so that we still have more voters in the 2026 general election.”
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Rev Father Okello, who is running for the Dokolo North MP seat in 2026, stated that some issues must be addressed, noting that the Dokolo district is almost entirely surrounded by swamps.
“Our worry is that if we have failed to achieve all this request, then foot and mouth disease can even storm us. Right now our people don’t have a place to graze their animals because the entire area is affected by the floods.”
According to the priest, what makes matters worse is that the national water and sewerage corporation, which should have provided free service, is instead charging shs200 per 20 litres of water to the displaced people.
Dr Rosemary Alwoc Ogwal, who ran for the March 21 woman MP by-election in Dokolo, said that heavy rains have caused floods in more sub-counties in the area.
She named Agwata Town Council, Adeknino, Kwera, and Okwongodul.
Dr. Alwoc warned that if the government fails to address this crisis, other diseases such as diarrhoea will strike and kill a large number of people.