Copyright, WestNile Web. Over 200 Hundred People In Kijomoro Sub-County in Maracha District Are Now Sleeping Under Trees After Fire Burnt Their Houses.

Mr Jacinto Obeti sympthazing with 106 year old woman who lost everything to fire. PHOTOS BY GEOFFREY ANGUPALE

MARACHA. Over two hundred people in Rikabu village in Robu parish, Kijomoro sub-county, Maracha district are sleeping under trees after a mysterious fire burnt down their houses.

This, despite the onset of rains that have escalated their conditions and left them at a risk of contracting diseases and dying of hunger.

In the on-going disaster, 107 houses from 82 households reportedly started burning in December last year but to date the cause remains mysterious. Mr Joseph Lulua, whose four houses have also been burnt down narrated that the houses mostly burn between 3am and 4am.

“Only one house remained in my home here in which my elderly mother was sleeping until it got burnt on Easter Monday, I failed to see how it caught fire although I pretended to be on guard under a tree behind it”, Lulua lamented.

The residents are now struggling to erect semi-permanent structures with iron roof since such houses are under no threat yet.

But a section of the victims have removed all the grass that was thatched on the roofs as they claim such houses are skipped by the mysterious fire.

Ms Luja Auderu, 70, said she had never witnessed such an incident in life before but accused elders and local leaders in the area of failing to find a solution to the problem.

“We are helpless; here our leaders are reluctant to help. What is helping us is the unity among victims who have formed a standby rescue team to save household items once an alarm is made that is why minimum damage has been done”, Auderu stated.

Mr Jacinto Obeti, the Local council II chairman and acting parish chief for Robu parish said the people are in dire need for support for the disaster that begun in December 2019.

“They need construction materials like iron sheets to build iron roofed houses since such houses are not at risk at moment”, Obeti said.

According to Mr William J Matua, the Kijomoro sub county chairman, his intervention to use detectives and LC1 chairman to dialogue with the community and formally notifying the district leadership has neither identified the cause of the fires nor yielded any support for the victims.

“Whenever we gather here to discuss, more houses burn, but I am sure tonight we will hear about more havoc, I addressed the people to identify the cause of this fire in Minyoko church of Uganda and we also came here together with the RDC and the DPC but all in vain, these people are surviving on God’s mercy", Matua regretted.

Mr William J. Matua pleaded for support for the fire victims.

Mr James Lifoa, 45, a single parent who is looking after his five children said he is currently surviving on sale of his bananas.

“My hut burned when I was out for cultural function, none of my house hold items were rescued, I am struggling to build another house with the help of my brother who gave me bricks, I am worried of the health of my children with whom I am sleeping in the cold”, Lifoa stated.

The sub-county chief of Kijomoro Mr Francis Edoni described the living conditions of the victims as appalling after assessing damages in 71 households.

“With these rains we know that there is a big challenge for the victims, we appeal to whoever can give help inform of shelter to support the victims who are mainly children, women, elderly and also people with disabilities. Their household items like food, utensils and livestock are destroyed”, Edoni said.

Edoni however called for calm urging people in the area to find amicable way through which to find the cause of the fire.

“Whereas the cause of the fire is mysterious, I appeal to the residents and clan members to be mindful that their decisions should be lawful, we wouldn’t want to have a situation where people take law into their hands”, Edoni advised.

According to the area MP Mr Denis Lee Oguzu, the ministry of disaster preparedness is ready to support the victims but required a formal communication from the chief administrative officer (CAO).

However, the CAO Mr Christopher Okumu said they have not filed a report to the office of the prime minister because identification of the victims and assessment of damages is not complete.

This is not the first time such an incident is happening in Maracha, in 2018, a similar mysterious fire occurred in Badaka village in Tara sub-county in which several houses got burnt.

Mr Joseph Lulua struggles to erect a semi permanent house after all his four house got burnt.