Rising waters from Lake Albert have stopped work at a major fish center in Hoima, Uganda. The Mbegu Fish Handling Center, worth Shs 2 billion, can no longer operate due to flooding.
The African Development Bank helped build this center in 2017. It was part of a big plan to make fishing better on Lakes Edward and Albert. The center helped people keep fish fresh and clean before selling it across Uganda.
The building had many useful parts. Fish could be stored, checked, and dried there. It had clean bathrooms and areas where people could pack small fish. But since September 2024, water from the lake has covered much of the building, and all work there has stopped.
Local leaders feel very worried about this problem. Robert Gingyera, who leads Mbegu Parish, says this has hurt their work badly. The fish workers have nowhere else to store their fish properly.
Moses Onen runs the Mbegu B landing area. He says the flood has made it hard to keep fish fresh. Without a good place to store fish, they cannot sell it for good prices.
Gilbert Balikurungi, who fishes at Mbegu, says the harm done will last a long time. The fishing business will face many problems ahead.
Felix Ongi works for the Hoima district. He says the center played a big part in keeping fish clean and fresh. The flood puts all fish work at risk.
This is not the first time such a thing has happened here. In 2020, another fish center at Kaiso was covered by water from Lake Albert. That center, built in 2012, cost Shs 800 million to build. The Ministry of Agriculture built it with help from Iceland's aid group. That center still does not work today.
The repeated flooding shows a pattern of problems for fish centers near Lake Albert. These events raise questions about how to protect such important buildings from rising waters in the future.
The African Development Bank helped build this center in 2017. It was part of a big plan to make fishing better on Lakes Edward and Albert. The center helped people keep fish fresh and clean before selling it across Uganda.
The building had many useful parts. Fish could be stored, checked, and dried there. It had clean bathrooms and areas where people could pack small fish. But since September 2024, water from the lake has covered much of the building, and all work there has stopped.
Local leaders feel very worried about this problem. Robert Gingyera, who leads Mbegu Parish, says this has hurt their work badly. The fish workers have nowhere else to store their fish properly.
Moses Onen runs the Mbegu B landing area. He says the flood has made it hard to keep fish fresh. Without a good place to store fish, they cannot sell it for good prices.
Gilbert Balikurungi, who fishes at Mbegu, says the harm done will last a long time. The fishing business will face many problems ahead.
Felix Ongi works for the Hoima district. He says the center played a big part in keeping fish clean and fresh. The flood puts all fish work at risk.
This is not the first time such a thing has happened here. In 2020, another fish center at Kaiso was covered by water from Lake Albert. That center, built in 2012, cost Shs 800 million to build. The Ministry of Agriculture built it with help from Iceland's aid group. That center still does not work today.
The repeated flooding shows a pattern of problems for fish centers near Lake Albert. These events raise questions about how to protect such important buildings from rising waters in the future.
