Climate change wreaks havoc in Alito as hailstorm destroys crops

31 July 2026, 9:12 am

By Agness Agilo

Across Uganda, the reality of climate change is no longer a distant warning — it is being felt in gardens, homes, and markets. In Alito Sub-county, Kole District, farmers who depend on rain-fed agriculture are now trapped in a cycle of extremes: months of dry spells followed by destructive downpours. The latest disaster has left entire communities counting losses and staring at hunger.

On 28th July 2026, heavy rains accompanied by a hailstorm swept through several parishes in Alito, destroying crops and submerging houses. The incident comes just months after a prolonged drought in the first planting season wiped out gardens across the sub-county.

Benard Tom Olet, the Alito Sub-county LC3 Chairperson, told Radio Wa that the hailstorm affected more than five villages in Agoma Parish, eight villages in Ayala Oyaa Parish, seven villages in Amuge Parish, as well as parts of Alito and Barongin Parishes.

According to Olet, the worst-hit crops are maize, cassava, and beans that were planted during the second rainy season.

_“The crops that our people planted with hope have all been destroyed. First it was drought, now it is hail and floods. We are worried about food in the coming months,”_ he said.

Olet expressed concern that such calamities were rare in the past. He attributed the change to the degradation of ecological systems that once supported predictable and normal rainfall patterns.

Adding his voice, the Kole District Environment Officer, Geoffery Oleny acknowledged that the changing weather pattern across most of the Lango sub-region is now marked by both extreme drought and sudden heavy downpours with hailstorms.

_“We are seeing the effects of human activities on our environment. When we cut down trees, when we destroy wetlands and burn carelessly, the climate responds with disaster. People must change how they use the environment,”_ he stressed.

The twin shocks of drought and hailstorms in Alito are a clear example of how climate change is threatening food security and livelihoods in rural Uganda. With staple crops destroyed, many families now face hunger, loss of income, and displacement.

Experts warn that without urgent action — such as tree planting, wetland conservation, climate-smart farming, and community awareness — these extreme weather events will become more frequent. For farmers in Alito, adapting to climate change is no longer an option. It is a matter of survival.