Uganda: Kisoro Residents Warned to Brace for Heavy Rains, Floods and Landslides Until 2027
Residents of Kisoro District in southwestern Uganda have been warned to prepare for heavier rainfall, floods, landslides and lightning strikes expected to persist through 2027.
The warning was issued by Kisoro District Environment Officer Unice Akankwasa, who said meteorological forecasts indicate that the district could experience rainfall patterns unlike any recorded in the past 150 years.
Kisoro lies in Uganda’s extreme southwest, bordering Rwanda to the south and the Democratic Republic of Congo to the west, with Rubanda and Kanungu districts on its other sides.
The district is characterised by steep hills and mountainous terrain, including the Virunga mountain range and the Muhabura volcanic mountain. Its headquarters are in Kisoro town.
The terrain makes the district particularly vulnerable to the effects of heavy rainfall, with runoff from the mountains and hills capable of triggering floods and landslides in lower-lying communities.
Recent events have demonstrated those risks. In February 2026, heavy rains triggered flash floods from the foothills of Mount Muhabura and areas around Mgahinga Gorilla National Park, destroying crop gardens and damaging a major tourism road linking Kisoro Town to the park.
The same month, two children were swept away and killed by fast-flowing floodwaters from Mount Muhabura in Nyarusiza Sub-county while fetching firewood during heavy rainfall.
Kisoro has experienced deadly landslides in previous years as well. In December 2023, two children were killed when a mudslide destroyed their home in Kanaba Sub-county following a heavy downpour.
In May that year, heavy rains triggered mudslides in Murora Sub-county and Bunagana Town Council, killing at least 10 people in Kisoro District.
Against this background, Akankwasa said the anticipated heavy rains could trigger lightning, flooding and landslides capable of destroying crops, property and infrastructure while putting lives at risk.
“The rains may trigger lightning, flooding and landslides capable of destroying crops, property and infrastructure, and endangering lives,” Akankwasa said.
She said the warning comes after a prolonged dry spell that has already caused crop failure in several gardens and water shortages in some communities.
Akankwasa urged residents to avoid risky behaviour during downpours, including travelling during heavy rains, cultivating in gardens while it is raining, washing utensils outside and sheltering under trees.
“Households should switch off televisions and phones during thunderstorms and keep doors and windows closed to minimise lightning-related risks,” Akankwasa said.
The warning comes as communities in Kisoro continue to contend with the effects of the district’s rugged terrain and increasingly damaging episodes of heavy rainfall.
Local authorities are urging residents to take weather warnings seriously and avoid activities and locations that could expose them to flooding, landslides and lightning as the district prepares for the expected rains.
By Nile Post.
