“arrests were made and investigations but 7 years down the road, no report to that effect”
Their was drama a couple of years ago at the National earthquake center after un- identified persons woke up in the morning and demolished the government owned facility in Entebbe.
This group of individuals whose identities are not known in 2013 demolished the national earth quake research centre located a few meters from the Imperial Golf view hotel and left the building in debris.
The research facility was established in 1925 by the Geological Surveys during the Colonial government, after the inception of the Department of Geological surveys in 1919.
After the demolition a number of arrests were made and investigations commenced immediately but 7 years down the road, no report to that effect.
And on addition to that no one has been prosecuted after demolishing the national earthquake facility in Entebbe.
We have highly established vital national information on earth quakes and lighting was destroyed by malicious persons whose identities are not known.
Reports indicate that the research facility housed one of the powerful earth detecting machines set up across the East African region.
Earthquakes are spontaneous events that constitute one of the most deadly naturally triggered disasters, which can cause extensive fatalities, injuries, disabilities, displacement, physiological distress, extensive property damage and devastating economic losses. They are a result of sudden energy releases in the earth’s crust, which create seismic waves that result in the ground shaking. They are often followed by a series of aftershocks or violent shakes, which can have a significant impact and do damage especially to already weakened buildings and other essential physical infrastructure.
Earthquakes are known to trigger geohazards such as landslides, mudslides, tsunamis, floods, volcanic eruptions, fires, technological accidents, water contamination, epidemics and panic-driven stampedes in crowded areas. Other geohazards are linked to catastrophic soft-sediment deformation which can lead to liquefaction and fluidization of near surface sediments .Some geohazards may take weeks, months or even years before they manifest.
The Lake Victoria Basin, which includes Uganda, remains a seismically active area and it has experienced many earthquakes. Uganda remains seismically vulnerable to earthquakes, which constitute one of the most deadly naturally triggered disasters in the world. This is not surprising given the country’s location in the East African Rift Valley System.(By HENRY OKECH)
