How rising waters drowned livelihoods in Buliisa
"The 5kg of maize flour we received couldn't sustain my family for long," Pithua said.
Buliisa: In March 2020, Buliisa District, located along the shores of Lake Albert in the Bunyoro sub-region of Western Uganda, was hit by severe flooding caused by rising water levels.
The floods displaced over 10,000 families many of whom relied on fishing as their main economic activity and submerged infrastructure, homes, and entire communities.
The most affected areas included Butiaba, Kigwera, Butiaba Town Council, and several landing sites such as Wanseko, Katanga, Masaka, Kawaibanda, Boma, and Walukuba. The floods stretched over 10 kilometers inland, damaging government institutions including Butiaba Health Centre and Butiaba Primary School.
Several fishermen from Buliisa and neighboring districts such as Nebbi, Hoima, and Masindi were forced to abandon their trade.
The rising lake levels not only disrupted fishing activities but were made worse by the Fisheries Protection Unit (FPU), which burned illegal or unlicensed fishing gear, leaving many with no source of livelihood.
With limited options, former fishermen turned to small-scale farming, cultivating crops such as cassava, millet, sorghum, cotton, pumpkins, and maize. However, prolonged drought and lack of agricultural inputs have made farming unsustainable for many.
Traversing the sandy feeder roads of Walukuba village in Butiaba Sub-county, our reporter met Mr. Ijok Pithua, a 49-year-old fisherman turned farmer, resting on the veranda of his grass-thatched home.
“Since the floods hit our area in 2020, we relocated and started cultivating to survive,” he said, looking exhausted. “We hardly have food sometimes just one meal a day or none at all.”
Pithua added that the floods, combined with the burning of his fishing gear, left him completely helpless. “The crops we planted were scorched by the sun. I have seven children who need school fees and food, but I have no source of income since even the small business I had was destroyed,” he lamented.
In December last year, the Office of the Prime Minister distributed relief items, including maize flour, beans, jerrycans, cups, and mosquito nets.
However, the support was insufficient. “The 5kg of maize flour we received couldn’t sustain my family for long,” Pithua said.
Ms. Akello Ayikani, a mother of five, echoed similar challenges. “We were used to getting daily income from fishing. Now, we barely get by,” she said. Akello now sells firewood to survive, but restrictions limit wood collection to only Saturdays within Murchison Falls National Park.
“If you’re caught on any other day, you’re arrested and taken to court,” she added.
Selling firewood earns her little, and her family often survives on one meal a day or nothing. “We are appealing to the government for a permanent solution. This suffering is too much,” she pleaded.
Ujiko Odongo, another former fisherman, said they lack tools and are affected by prolonged sunshine. “We don’t have hoes, and the crops we planted have dried up. There’s no food to feed my family,” he shared.
Richard Onen, chairperson of Kisinja village in Walukuba Parish, says his community is in crisis. “There’s a need for a long-term government solution. Some families never received relief items, and those who did got too little,” he said.
Bernard Barugahara, the District Community Development Officer (DCDO) of Buliisa, explained that there are two categories of flood victims: those originally from Buliisa who settled at the lake shores, and migrants from other districts.
“Those from within Buliisa vacated the shores, while migrants either returned to their districts or bought land in places like Biiso, Masindi, and Kigorobya,” he noted.
He added that some remaining residents are now occupying disputed land along the lake. “The district, together with the Ministry of Lands and UNICEF, is working on a permanent solution. We are still verifying who left, who stayed, and what kind of support each group requires,” Barugahara said.
According to Barugahara, the government is also in the process of determining the number of people affected based on their status and category to provide appropriate support.
Fred Lukumu, the District Chairperson, said it’s uncertain whether water levels will normalize, as such flooding hadn’t occurred in years. “We advise people to relocate to safer areas like Biiso, Masindi, Kigorobya, Hoima, and Nebbi, as we await the government’s full assessment,” he stated.
Hon. Allan Atugonza, Member of Parliament for Buliisa Constituency, said the government is considering several interventions. “We are pushing for a special budget to support flood victims in Buliisa,” he said.
He added that while many fishermen have transitioned to farming, there is a need to support them with high-yielding seeds and agricultural inputs.
“Last year, we lobbied the Office of the Prime Minister to provide relief, and some items were donated. But more sustainable support is needed,” he emphasized.
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