Uganda People’s Congress (UPC) has tasked the Government to find an immediate remedy to the negative effects caused by floods in Kampala and other urban cities. The call was made during a press conference at the UPC Headquarters, located on Uganda House in Kampala on Wednesday.
“We should not ignore the negative effects of nature as we urbanize our cities. UPC calls upon Government to plan for the cities on time to avoid incidents where people drown in flooded trenches across the country,” said Muzeyi Faizo, the UPC Head of Media and Communications, while presenting a statement on the position of UPC on the devastating effects of rain floods on human activities and lives in urban areas.
He said recently, Kampala Capital City and the rest of the country have had heavy downpours of rains, but one stood out more devastating last week that got some sections of roads cut off by floods and key office buildings were not accessible, yet this was a one-day rain.
“Imagine if it had gone on much longer, loss of lives could have been registered as well as damage to our property since even cars were being carried away due to the intensity of running water,” he added.
Mr. Faizo said UPC takes note of the fact that while the Government is busy promoting rapid urbanization and related infrastructure development, it should not ignore nature.
“The leading water channels and catchment areas in Kampala have been invaded for human settlement. In most cases, no new water channels have been created. This causes water to get stuck and upon finding an outlet, its flow is very fast and damaging with high erosive power,” the UPC statement reads in part.
UPC further advised Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to go on ground as quickly as possible and study the water flow in Kampala.
“Any delays may cause a lot of problems. Most of the pit latrines in the city are being washed away. Some city tenants take advantage of the rains to throw in all sorts of refuse which cause blockage. These situations are a recipe for both cholera, malaria and typhoid which spread like bush-fire. The public should access better facilities and services because it is relatively cheaper to prevent diseases than going for treatment, adds the statement.”
The Wednesday UPC press conference comes at a time when the Party is working on the national program in preparation for 2026 general elections. All Party structures and general membership across the country are called upon to step up mobilization for UPC using their self-explanatory legacy on education, health and welfare which are the most pressing concerns of the citizenry, according to the UPC statement.
Mr. Faizo said UPC President, Hon. Jimmy Akena will continue making such mobilization visits to different parts of the country. He revealed that on Sunday 24th September 2023, the Party President was in Greater West Nile, in the company of Comrades Collins Obadeling and Stanley Yiacia.
“In attendance were also the local government leaders on UPC ticket and some members. We want to appreciate the Nebbi and greater Arua leaderships for exhibiting such a good level of organization and mobilization for the Party that won UPC some seats in the local government amidst the challenges at hand,” he added.
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