Landslides displace families in Kasese

22 November 2025, 3:14 pm

By Kaguta Joel

Sipirina Basona, a resident of Kathoma village in Mbunga sub-county in Uganda’s district of Kasese has been displaced by disasters and is facing heightened and complex set of vulnerabilities.

Ms Basona aged 49 explained that the 2025 September torrential rains have left her and other dependents without what they call a home.

Basona who has been widowed for more than fifteen years ago said that her family’s primary source of income and land were just robbed in an hour rains.

According to Basona, herself, children and grandchildren have been left without the means to recover from disaster.

Kasese district has for the last 12 years been witnessing devastating disasters ranging from floods, landslides, droughts and dry spell.

The effects of such disasters have had a regrettable situation to the population but women and children pay the heaviest price.

Now, Basona is a vivid example of a widow who has been displaced after the upper wall of her four roomed- permanent house was hit by a huge landslide.

Ms Ruth Biira, the Sub-County Chairperson for said that in a spate of two weeks, more than 15 houses have been destroyed by landslides and the occupants are now staying with their relatives.

According to Biira, the affected families are facing trauma of displacement and for Basona, the widowhood and lack of privacy is often leading to mental health issues such as misery and anxiety.

Our reporter who covered this story observed that crisis counseling and trauma support are needed to help survivors cope with their loss and displacement since emotional and mental well-being is vital for resilience and long-term recovery. As of late 2025, there is no specific figure available for the number of widows displaced by disasters in Uganda.