Humanist

The thing I believe everyone in Uganda should know and appreciate better is that climate change is devastatingly real.

Tell you what?

Starting last evening through the night, through today, for example, it has been raining on and off. It is now raining late evening today as I write this blog. The rain has completely disrupted work of establishing a water reserve system at our CPAR Uganda Dr. Paul Hargrave Memorial Center in Lira City.

Construction of concrete stands for water harvesting and storage tanks stalled. As well as the installation of rain water harvesting gutters and pipes; and piping work from the National Water and Sewerage Corporation grid to the tanks.

Moreover, it is urgent work that we need done, before we receive the first cohort of participants for the CPAR Youth Media Training.

Want to learn more about the CPAR Youth Media Training, click here and read “Welcome to media for Development Family.”

Anyways, I cannot help but wonder the impact this incidence of heavy rains has had. I am certain there will be harrowing news reports tomorrow about how rain water floods have devastated lives in Lango.

Yes, for over a decade or so, heavy rain induced floods are increasingly seasonally devastating Lango. Case in point:

In 2013, New Vision published a story about Otuke, Alebtong, Kole and Oyam, titled “Heavy rains ravage Lango.” In which it reported that “heavy rains in Lango Sub-Region have caused floods, submerging bridges, washed away culverts and destroyed roads.”

In a story titled: “Heavy rains pours cold water on Lango cotton farmers’ hope,” first published by Monitor in 2017 and updated in 2021, local leaders are quoted has having said:

“All community access roads in the area had been rendered impassable.” And that it had “become very difficult for them to transport the sick to the health centers, because all the bridges had been washed away by floods.”

Early this month, October 2025, writing about Dokolo, Kwania and Otuke, TND News in a story tilted: “When the waters rose, our leaders fell silent: A cry from Lango’s flooded villages,” decried the plight of the people of Lango.

It is within this context that I found insensitive media coverage of the recent ‘ordeal’ of Candidate Robert Kyangulanyi, flag bearer for the National Unity Platform (NUP) in Otuke in Lango.

“Breaking: Bobi Wine stuck on the way to Otuke! Convey hits a …” the title of a video screamed. I clicked on the link and watched the video.

I despaired!

At some point in the video, Candidate Kyagulanyi, while standing with the residents in flood water, asks: “Who is the member of parliament of this place?” I beg your pardon, I thought. Should he not already know?

Long story short, Candidate Kyagulanyi proceeded to criticize the people for electing such leaders, instead of electing him and his team. “You see what we are trying to fight for?” He asked them.

The tone of his remarks was borderline narcissistic and patronizing. At some point, the residents clearly wanting to get emeere ya leero from him, flat out flattered him and likely lied to him that “they voted for him and their votes were stolen.” Long story for another day.

Standing in flood waters, Candidate Kyagulanyi, was seemingly less empathetic in his reaction to stories of suffering residents; and was more selfishly interested in instructing them on how to “protect their votes for him and NUP in he 2026 election.”

I kid you not. While standing with residents in flood waters, he said to them something to the effect that there should be some of them, particularly youth, who own smart phones. And he proceeded to lecture them on how to use TikTok.

My jaw dropped.

I digress. Back to the point.

Anyway, Candidate Kyagulanyi was tone deaf to the answers he got from the residents to his questions: “How long has the road been flooded like this? And “How often does it happen?” Something or rather.

The residents told him it had been water clogged for about two weeks, and that it happens three times a year, presumably during the rain seasons. Resident testimonies triangulated with media reports, it is apparent that the flooded roads are likely symptoms of negative consequences of climate change.

When Hon. Kyagulanyi was a member of parliament from 2017 to 2021, did he ever show concern about the plight of the people of Lango with regards to rain water induced floods? I honestly do not think so.

I would love to read what is written in the Hansard on Hon. Kyagulanyi’s submissions on the floor of the house with regards to rain water floods in Lango; and or the rest of Uganda.

Did he, while a legislator in Parliament, appreciate floods as phenomenon related to negative effects of climate change or not?

Will we see Candidate Kyagulanyi return to Lira City on 6th December 2025, in solidarity with “Dokolo North Community Initiative” for its “flagship fundraising and advocacy marathon event under the theme: “Running for resilience: Rebuilding lives beyond the floods?”

I have my doubts he will.

Please do not misunderstand me. This attitude of not taking negative effects of climate change seriously is not unique to Candidate Kyagulanyi.

Climate change and the need to plan for and implement appropriate technological interventions to propel genuine sustainable rural development is not a priority for nearly all our leaders – politicians and otherwise. sadly.

I despair!

Profiled photo @ New Vision.