STELLA T
Local leaders and residents of Rukungiri District are facing a severe water shortage, with some people being forced to walk up to three kilometers to fetch water.
Phiona Beinomugisha, the area councilor for Rubanga Parish in Buyanja Sub County and a resident of Rubanga, told our reporter that she spends 3,000 shillings daily in search of clean water for domestic use. She explained that they once relied on boreholes, streams, and rivers in nearby valleys during the rainy season, but these sources have since dried up.
Beinomugisha highlighted that the community has been enduring this water crisis for a long time, resulting in frequent cases of waterborne diseases. This is because they are left with no choice but to drink contaminated water from the valleys, which is sometimes shared with animals.
Agaba Emmy Rubondo, the LCIII chairperson for Buyanja Sub County and also a resident of Rubanga Parish, stated that the situation becomes even more challenging during the holidays. He explained that many mothers struggle to care for their families as they spend several hours each day looking for water.
He noted that there is overcrowding at the few available water points, which serve over 300 people across more than ten villages in the parish. It takes an individual more than two hours to fetch water from the borehole.
Rubondo appealed to the relevant authorities to intervene to prevent further outbreaks of waterborne diseases, such as typhoid fever and diarrhea.
Deus Twekwase, the Senior Engineer at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in Rukungiri District, explained that NWSC is facing several challenges, including mechanical breakdowns and unreliable electricity supply, which affect the heavy pumps used to distribute water in areas mapped for water supply.
Deus emphasized the need to diversify water sources for the Kahege project, which is stabilizing. He also stated that they are working to update their infrastructure with the latest technologies to make it more resilient, though these improvements are costly. He asked the people of Rukungiri to be patient as they work to normalize the situation, noting that pipes have already been installed.
