“Black rain” causes jitters among residents in Busia

Residents at the Kenya-Uganda border in Busia are living in fear after “black rain” pounded the area on Saturday.

The residents were shocked when they rushed to fetch rain water as is usually the case only to find it was black.

They are now concerned about the potential impact the water could have on their health, plants and environment.

The unusual occurrence has sparked speculation and fear among residents with some even making biblical references to the phenomenon.

Initially, residents attributed the colour of water to dirty roofs but because the occurrence was widespread, they suspected the problem could be bigger.

Placing containers outside during the rain, residents discovered that the collected water was unusually dark. Even after washing the containers, the water retained the dark colour.

Reports said authorities are still trying to determine the exact cause of the black rain, but several possible explanations have been put forward.

“Ideally, rainwater is supposed to be colourless and clear. Any change in colour points to pollution of the atmosphere,” Jimmy Ngolobe, the Busia District environment officer was quoted by local press.

He, however, said there was a need for laboratory tests to be conducted on the black rainwater before making conclusive judgments.

He said industrial emissions could be responsible for the phenomenon.

However, the presence of a few factories in the area made some locals to believe the explanation is not satisfactory.

Another possibility, according to Ngolobe, is that the black colour is caused by natural causes such as dust storms or volcanic ash.

However, the absence of recent storms or volcanic activity in the area also casts doubts on this explanation.

Residents were advised to avoid contact with the black rainwater until they received communication from authorities.