More than 50 families have fled their homes in Bupoto sub-county, Namisindwa district, after fresh ground cracks emerged following heavy rains, raising fears of a potential landslide disaster.
The cracks reportedly developed on Sunday as persistent rainfall continued to batter the area, forcing residents to abandon homes deemed unsafe and seek refuge in safer locations.
The latest incident comes days after authorities warned that more than 500 villages in Buwabwala, Bumumali, Tsekululu and Mukoto sub-counties, as well as Luwa town council, were at risk from massive landslide cracks and flooding.
Last week, Namisindwa district chairperson Emma Bwayo conducted a field assessment alongside local leaders in several of the affected communities.
Following the inspection, Bwayo called for urgent government intervention to safeguard residents living in landslide-prone areas and avert a possible humanitarian crisis.
Families affected by the latest cracks in Bupoto say the widening fissures have left them with little choice but to abandon their homes as fears grow that the ground could give way.
Alex Wambwa and Sarah Kituyi, among the displaced residents, appealed to the government to urgently relocate families living in high-risk areas before lives are lost.
They said many residents remain in fear as the cracks continue to widen after every heavy downpour, warning that the situation could deteriorate further if the rains persist.
Local leaders have renewed calls for emergency relief, evacuation plans and long-term mitigation measures to protect communities from recurring landslide threats in the mountainous district.
The district has in recent years experienced repeated landslides and flooding, with experts attributing the disasters to a combination of heavy rainfall, environmental degradation and settlement in vulnerable areas.