Heavy rains blow roofs off 121 houses and four churches in Kigoma Ujiji

Heavy rains in Kigoma Ujiji Municipality, western Tanzania, have blown the roofs off 121 houses and four churches and damaged other buildings, local officials said, according to a report published on 2 November 2026. More than 100 households have been affected in the month since the rains began, and the municipal council has started distributing food aid to those hit.

The figures were presented by the Acting Director of Kigoma Ujiji Municipality, Hashim Mvogogo, in a briefing to the Kigoma Regional Commissioner, Ambassador Simon Sirro. Sirro led the regional Defence and Security Committee and the regional Disaster Committee in handing over the council's relief supplies to affected residents.

Damage concentrated in four wards

According to Mvogogo, Gungu ward suffered the most, with 70 houses affected. Kibirizi ward followed with 47 houses, while Mwanga Kusini and Katubuka wards each recorded two.

The council's relief package includes 2.6 tonnes of rice, 1.9 tonnes of maize flour and one tonne of beans, together with sugar, cooking oil and laundry soap. Mvogogo said the council was still working to meet other needs, including mattresses, bedsheets, blankets and tarpaulins. Some of the affected residents are being housed in various locations.

One of those affected, Kobwa Kamana, was among residents who thanked the government for the food aid. They asked, however, for more support in the form of building materials, particularly iron roofing sheets, so they can return to their homes.

Warnings and relocation orders

While handing over the aid, Sirro urged residents to follow guidance from experts at the Tanzania Meteorological Authority (TMA) and the government, and to take precautions against the heavy rains expected in the country.

He said high-risk areas had already been identified and people living there had been told to move for their own safety. According to Sirro, some residents have refused to relocate and have dismissed the warnings. He said the government would take legal action against anyone who defies the authorities' instructions.

Sirro added that the government would continue to support residents affected by the rains. He said Kigoma Region is among the regions expected to receive heavy rainfall. Since October, he said, Kigoma, Buhigwe, Kakonko, Kasulu and Kibondo districts have experienced heavy rains accompanied by strong winds, causing harm to residents.

Why it matters for Tanzania

The damage in Kigoma shows how quickly heavy rain and strong wind can leave families without a safe roof, even before the peak of a rainy season. Officials in the region have tied their response directly to TMA forecasts, and the refusal of some residents to leave risky areas highlights a common challenge: early warnings only reduce harm when people are able and willing to act on them.

Tanzania is regularly exposed to both droughts and floods, and many households depend on rain-fed farming and live in homes vulnerable to storms. Events like this one raise questions about how communities prepare for extreme weather, how quickly relief reaches those affected, and how families can rebuild more resilient homes. The request from residents for roofing materials, rather than only food, points to the longer recovery that follows such storms.

Source: HabariLeo