Rainstorm Destroys Homes, Church, and Crops in Rubirizi District -

RUBIRIZI, UGANDA – The powerful winds and heavy rains have destroyed homes, flattened crops, and demolished critical community infrastructure, plunging families into despair and food insecurity in Rubirizi District.

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A violent rainstorm swept through Kashenyi village in Rutoto sub-county, shattering lives and completely destroying the beloved Kashenyi Catholic Church, the community’s spiritual center, along with its vital latrine facilities.

Kashenyi village LC I Chairperson John Turyingana confirmed the scale of the devastation, reporting that the church, the toilets, and more than 30 homes were destroyed.

He stated that the community is in a state of despair after losing its shelter and food to the storm, and is now calling upon local leaders for a strong and immediate response to the imminent hunger it faces.

“The church is gone, the toilets are gone, and more than 30 homes have been destroyed. Our people are in a state of despair. They have lost their shelter, their food is ruined in the gardens, and they are now facing imminent hunger. We are calling upon our local leaders for a strong and immediate response,” Turyingana reported.

The Chairperson of Kashenyi Catholic Church, Hon. Ninsiima Prudence, and the Church Treasurer, Madam Asiimwe Rose, have made an urgent appeal for support to rebuild their place of worship and provide relief to devastated families.

They emphasize that the entire community is struggling to access basic necessities, as impassable roads have left it isolated and cut off from help.

“We are appealing to all well-wishers, local leaders, and the government to come together and support this community. Our people are struggling to access even the most basic necessities. The roads are impassable, making it difficult to get help. We are in dire need of assistance to recover from this,” said Ninsiima and Asiimwe.

With livelihoods destroyed, crops flattened by the winds, and most families left homeless and without income or food, the village is in dire need of immediate assistance to recover from this catastrophic disaster.

Rutoto Sub-county LCIII Chairperson Hon. Mujomba Jonan visited the scene to console the victims and personally assess the extent of the damage.

While acknowledging the urgent need for immediate relief, he encouraged the community to also focus on the future by adopting long-term resilience strategies.

He advised residents to embrace climate-smart farming and tree planting to mitigate future risks, explaining that preparedness through trenches and soil conservation methods can reduce the impact of flash floods.

“We must learn from this tragedy. I encourage everyone to embrace climate-smart farming and tree planting to mitigate future risks and protect our environment. I also urge people to dig trenches and use soil conservation methods to reduce the impact of flash floods that are leaving families hungry,” Chairperson Mujomba remarked.

Mujomba promised to mobilize resources from his network of friends and announced plans to organize a special thanksgiving mass at the site of the destroyed church to unite the community in prayer and kickstart the rebuilding process.

As the people of Kashenyi village pick up the pieces, they are clinging to hope and appealing for the help needed to rebuild their homes, their livelihoods, and their cherished church.