A – FOURTEEN – YEAR – OLD boy of Serenje District has died after been struck by lightning while in excess of 20 houses have had their houses damaged following heavy rains that left a trail of distraction in the area.
Serenje acting District Commissioner Kennedy Pezo said the boy’s parents who were also partially affected by lightning confirmed the death of their son Steven Kayombo, a grade seven pupil at Boma School.
He said the incident happened on Tuesday this week around 11 : 00 hours and that some victims had taken refugee in churches and learning institutions while others were spending nights in the cold as they did not have the means to immediately renovate their houses.
Speaking when Energy Minister Peter Kapala, Central Province Minister Credo Nanjiwa and officials from the Rural Electrification Authority (REA) paid a courtesy call on him here yesterday, Mr. Pezo said more that 30 families had been left homeless after the heavy characterised by thunderstorms blow off their roofs.
“The district generally is calm despite that we have been negatively affected by the rains of the year which has seen in excess of 20 houses being damaged, their roofs were ripped off and we also lost a life of a 14 year grade seven boy,” Mr. Pezo said.
He said during the same period, some households had their fertilizer and seed they collected in readiness for the planting season soaked in water.
Mr. Pezo appealed to the Government through the disaster management and mitigation unit (DMMU) to come to the aid of the people of Serenje District by providing relief to the affected families.
“There was also need to come up with policy reforms in the DMMU that will ensure that they work in line with the new dawn Government plan of developing the country,” he said.
Mr. Pezo said the distribution of farming inputs in Serenje had advanced with over 70 per cent of beneficiaries having collected.
And in response, Northern Province Minister Credo Nanjiwa said he would immediately engage the DMMU, to see how best the affected families can be helped.
Mr. Nanjiwa said disasters as a result of rains were being experienced in some parts of the country but that he would request the team from DMMU to ascertain the extent of damage in Serenje District.
“When we make an administrative visit we will be able to appreciate the challenges you are facing as a District but we are however happy that distribution of farming inputs, we are aware that Serenje is actually leading in the distribution of inputs,” he said.
And Mr. Kapala said he was in the Province to commission a 45 Kilowatt mini solar grid which will spur economic development in the area.
