OPM offers food Relief to Rukungiri hailstorm victims.

Rukungiri: Rukungiri district leaders on Wednesday November 20, 2024 received relief food items from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) to help residents who were affected by hailstorm in September this year.

Devastating hailstorm ravaged crop gardens in areas of Rukungiri municipality, Buyanja sub-county, Buyanja town council, some parts of Nyakagyeme and Buhunga sub-counties sparking fears of a potential famine.

This prompted both residents and their leaders to make an alarm seeking the government’s support.

The government has now through the OPM released food items including 20 tonnes of maize flour and 10 tonnes of beans which will be distributed to the hailstorm victims.

While receiving the relief food items at the district headquarters, the Rukungiri Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Steven Nsubuga Bewayo warned the   beneficiaries against selling  this aid stressing that it should rather push them to the next season of harvesting.

Nsubuga further urged the general public to utilize this rainy season properly by planting food crops that will help them to fight against famine and poverty in their homes.

The Rukungiri district deputy chief administrative officer (DCAO) Hillary Agaba  promised to exercise transparency during the distribution of these food items to the intended beneficiaries and further  called upon the district stakeholders to be involved.

On his part, Micheal Byarugaba, the Rukungiri district Secretary for Production, Marketing, and Natural Resources asked the village chairpersons to be vigilant enough during the distribution exercise and ensure that only the affected residents are the real beneficiaries.