Leader of Opposition in Parliament (LOP), Joel Ssenyonyi, has urged the Ugandan government to provide an update to citizens on its readiness to avert an inevitable climatic disaster.
Ssenyonyi made this call on May 6, 2024, during a plenary session in response to recent events in Kenya and Tanzania, where torrential rains have resulted in loss of life and property damage. He highlighted the rising water levels at Lake Victoria and expressed concern that similar incidents could occur in Uganda.
“My concern is that what is occurring in Kenya might very well happen here in Uganda. How prepared are we to avoid such a situation? Climate change is real. We watched the devastation in far-off countries like Dubai, United Arab Emirates, which some people felt was far away, but it is now right at our doorstep,” Senyonyi noted.
According to Ssenyonyi, torrential downpours have caused devastating effects in Kenya, with over 200 reported dead, about 100 missing, and 170,000 displaced, warning that the situation might worsen.
Ssenyonyi further requested an update on the government’s progress in enacting the Disaster Bill, which was first presented in 2018, stating that such legislation will inform the government on how to plan and fund disaster management in Uganda.
In response, the Speaker of Parliament, Anita Annet Among, asked the Minister of Disaster Preparedness to update the nation on Uganda’s preparedness to avert any eventual disaster that may happen in Uganda, following similar occurrences in Kenya and Tanzania where torrential rains have claimed lives and destroyed properties.
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