In the Kisoro region of southwest Uganda, the death toll from recent landslides triggered by heavy rains stands at least 18, with many homes buried beneath the mud and debris. Emergency workers and local residents have been digging through the wreckage, and the Uganda Red Cross has been providing updates through its social channels as new victims are discovered. Families have been displaced and communities brace for what could be a longer recovery in the hills where soil loosening and rushing waters overwhelmed fragile housing and infrastructure.
The local government in Kisoro has attributed the disaster to a combination of climate-driven rainfall patterns, farming practices, and soil management issues. Officials emphasize that improvements in land use, prevention strategies, and long term planning will be essential to reduce future risk in this border region near Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.
David Bahati, the Deputy Minister for Trade, Industry and Cooperatives, indicated that the government is mobilizing all available resources to stabilize the situation in the immediate term while pursuing a lasting plan. He confirmed the fatalities and noted that a vital road linking Katuna and Muko, close to the tourist site Lake Bunyonyi, has been wiped out by the slides, complicating aid delivery and access for residents and responders.
The broader East African context is marked by persistent rainfall events that have caused significant damage in neighboring Rwanda as well. A recent period of torrential storms in the region has claimed additional lives across multiple districts, underscoring the vulnerability of hillside communities to rapid weather changes and shifting climate patterns. Local authorities in both Uganda and Rwanda are coordinating with international partners to assess needs, scale relief efforts, and implement measures to protect vulnerable groups in the coming weeks. [Source: Uganda Red Cross; official government statements; regional weather agencies]