MICHAEL N
Residents of Itojo Sub-county in Ntungamo District have staged a demonstration over the persistent lack of electricity and water supply that has affected Itojo Hospital and the entire town for more than a month.
The angry residents blocked the Ntungamo–Mbarara highway by burning car tyres, dry grass, and fallen electricity poles, causing a traffic standstill until police intervened to disperse them and clear the road.
Residents expressed frustration over the deteriorating situation at Itojo Hospital, saying lives are being lost due to the lack of oxygen and non-functional machines that require electricity. They reported that patients are forced to fetch water from the community, where the only available water source is overstretched.
Business operators, including drug shop owners and salon operators, also voiced concern, saying their livelihoods have been severely affected. Medicines that require refrigeration are expiring, salons remain closed, and many families are struggling to meet basic needs.
Itojo Sub-county LC5 councillor Denis Savimbi Muhumuza criticized the delay in restoring power, noting that a transformer that was recently brought to the area functioned for only four hours before breaking down again.
Ntungamo District authorities have assured residents that efforts are underway to secure a new transformer from Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) and have appealed for calm as they work to restore electricity and water supply to the area.
