Hundreds of farmers in Akoboi Sub-County, Katakwi District, are reeling from heavy losses after a devastating hailstorm swept through several villages, destroying at least 370 gardens of crops and leaving communities in shock.
The Thursday afternoon downpour, which began around 3:00 p.m., was accompanied by violent winds and heavy hailstones that battered the villages of Awanyagola, Otuboi, Aterai, and Angopet in Dadas Parish.
By the time the storm subsided, acres of farmland had been flattened, homes flooded, and small livestock killed, plunging families into despair.
According to Simon Peter Okwakol, the LCI chairperson of Awanyagola village and overall chairman of LCIs in Akoboi Sub-County, the magnitude of destruction was unprecedented in recent memory.
“The hailstorm came suddenly with strong winds and small drizzles. It destroyed our maize, simsim, millet, cowpeas, rice, and cassava crops that we had planted for the second harvest,” Okwakol said.
“Even birds and some poultry were killed. People are crying because this was our main source of food and income.”
The affected farmers had invested heavily in the second planting season, hoping for a bumper harvest to cushion them against last year’s drought and the rising cost of food. Unfortunately, the storm shattered their hopes, leaving many uncertain about how to survive the coming months.
John Michael Emoit, the LCI chairperson of Otuboi village, expressed deep concern about the looming threat of food insecurity in Akoboi and the neighboring sub-counties.
“This disaster means hunger is imminent. People were depending on these crops to feed their families and sell some for basic needs. Now everything is gone,” Emoit lamented.
In Angopet village, Francis Ariong, another local leader, said that at least 200 gardens of cassava and simsim had been destroyed in his area alone.
“Those crops would have helped families sustain themselves and educate their children. We have lost everything to nature,” Ariong said.
One of the most tragic cases is that of Jessica Atukoit, a resident of Aterai village, who reportedly attempted suicide after losing her entire one-acre rice plantation valued at over UGX 1.7 million.
Atukoit described the event as “the most painful experience” of her farming life.
“I had invested everything I had into that rice field. Seeing it all washed away in one afternoon broke my heart,” she recounted tearfully.
Other affected residents, including Lazaro Okwaput, Pulumera Apuru, and Eucu, have appealed to the government to urgently intervene with relief aid.
They are calling on the Office of the Prime Minister and the District Disaster Management Committee to deliver food assistance and materials for drying and preserving the remaining cassava.
“We need help to recover. Many of us depend entirely on farming, and with the crops gone, our children will go hungry,” Okwaput said.
Akoboi Sub-County is among several areas in Katakwi that have been battered by extreme weather events in recent weeks.
Other sub-counties such as Magoro, Palam, Ngariam, Ongogonja, and Okulonyo have also been affected by flooding, which has submerged hundreds of gardens and displaced several families.
Local leaders have urged the Katakwi District Disaster Preparedness Committee to carry out a rapid assessment and forward a report to the central government for emergency relief and possible replanting support.
District authorities say they are coordinating with the Office of the Prime Minister to verify the extent of damage and mobilize emergency supplies for the most affected families.
About Author
