Parliament Pays Tribute to UNRA Engineer Who Died Rescuing Flood Victims in Pakwach

Summary:

• Hassan tragically passed away while attempting to rescue people trapped in floods following the bursting of the Tangi River banks in Pakwach District on Wednesday.

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KAMPALA: The Speaker of the Parliament of Uganda, Rt. Hon. Anita Annet Among, has led Parliament in paying tribute to Yahaya Hassan, a marine engineer attached to the Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) station in Pakwach.

Hassan tragically passed away while attempting to rescue people trapped in floods following the bursting of the Tangi River banks in Pakwach District on Wednesday.

During the session, Speaker Among called on the Office of the Prime Minister to provide an explanation of the emergency measures being implemented to address the widespread flooding and landslides that have ravaged several parts of the country due to heavy rains in November.

She noted that over 40 households were reportedly buried in landslides in Bulambuli District alone.

“The nation is currently experiencing heavy rainfall, causing widespread disasters, including flooding in several areas. I am reliably informed that the taxi trapped in the floods has been successfully retrieved, and the passengers are safe. However, on a sad note, in the process of the rescue, we lost one of UNRA’s engineers, and that is truly tragic. It is a reminder of the severe impact of these floods across the country,” Speaker Among said.

She highlighted several areas severely affected by the floods, including the eastern region.

“In the East, floods have disrupted key roads. Nabuyonga Road in Mbale is inaccessible, the road between Mbale and Soroti is cut off, and Tirinyi Road is also facing similar challenges. Additionally, 14 households have been buried in Bulambuli, and efforts to recover the bodies are ongoing. We urgently need action from the Office of the Prime Minister to support the affected communities.” Among said.

The Uganda Peoples’ Defence Forces (UPDF) and other law enforcement agencies are working to address the situation.

The UPDF has advised motorists to avoid the Pakwach-Nwoya highway and consider alternative routes due to the dangerous conditions caused by the floods.

Meanwhile, Speaker of Parliament Anita Among has pledged to expedite the enactment of the Uganda Red Cross Society Act, emphasizing the need to amend the 60-year-old law to address Uganda’s growing emergency response challenges.

The Speaker made the commitment during a meeting with top officials of the Uganda Red Cross at Parliament today. During the meeting, the Red Cross highlighted the lack of clear guidelines for securing government funding for emergency response, a gap that has forced the organization to negotiate with various ministries an unsustainable approach.

“As Parliament, we are committed to doing what we are supposed to do. We are here to serve humanity, just like you are serving humanity, but we can only help where the Ministry has introduced the Bill,” Speaker Among stated. “I request that you go back to the Prime Minister and Attorney General to ensure they produce the Bill. I can assure you, we shall pass it in the shortest time possible because we need it. How can we still have an Act from 1964?”

Her remarks came in response to concerns raised by Robert Kwesiga, the Secretary General of the Uganda Red Cross, who revealed that efforts to amend the law began during the 10th Parliament. However, the proposed legislation was among several bills declared null and void at the end of that Parliament’s tenure. Attempts to reintroduce the Bill in the current 11th Parliament have faced delays and minimal progress.

“There are some elements in that Act that are too broad and difficult for us to execute,” Kwesiga explained. “For instance, the way government supports the Red Cross is mentioned vaguely, leaving us to negotiate on a case-by-case basis. We think this can be better structured in the legislation to make it clear and actionable. While we get some budget support from the government, it is limited and highly dependent on negotiations rather than explicit provisions in the law.”

Speaker Among reiterated Parliament’s readiness to act swiftly once the Bill is tabled, underscoring the importance of modernizing the law to strengthen emergency response mechanisms across the country.