RTV News, Uganda —
The number of people killed in last week’s devastating landslides in Uganda’s Sebei sub-region has climbed to 21, after rescuers recovered five more bodies in Bukwo District on Monday evening.
Local search teams, working alongside the Uganda Police and the army, continue to dig through deep mud and debris with basic tools amid challenging conditions.
Authorities say the latest bodies, including two infants, were recovered from Kwanwa Village in Kapteka Parish, Chesower Sub-county. The discovery brings the total death toll to seven in Bukwo, six in Kween, and five in Kapchorwa districts. At least 11 others remain missing and are feared to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Chesan Sylus, a resident taking part in the search, said seven bodies have so far been recovered from Kwanwa alone — five from one family and two from another.
“This morning, we unearthed two infants from a family of seven; the remaining five are still buried,” he told the RTV.
In neighbouring Kween District, Resident District Commissioner Hope Atuhaire confirmed that another body had been retrieved from Girig, a low-lying area heavily affected by flooding.
Sipi Regional Police spokesperson Fredmark Chesang said nine survivors have been located so far, adding that rescue efforts remain ongoing despite difficult terrain and continuing rainfall.
Uganda’s State Minister for Disaster Preparedness, Lillian Aber, who visited the disaster-hit areas on Sunday, urged residents in high-risk zones to relocate immediately.
“The government has established a temporary camp at Moyok in Kween District to host displaced families until the rains subside,” she said, adding that a long-term resettlement plan is being developed.
Relief supplies, including food, have begun arriving from the Office of the Prime Minister to support affected communities. Officials from the OPM and the Uganda Red Cross are currently assessing the full extent of the damage and verifying the list of victims.
Landslides are a recurring tragedy in Uganda’s mountainous eastern region, where intense rainfall and deforestation have left many slopes unstable and prone to collapse.
By Filian K
