Kabarole residents hit by water crisis

Residents of Harugongo, Hakibale and Kabende sub-counties in Kabarole district are in dire need of clean and safe water.

Several water sources especially shallow wells are mostly used by livestock and the available community boreholes are broken and require repair.

Evelyn Katusiime a resident of Geme village said that they trek more than 10 kilometres to fetch water from Kichwamba sub-county.
 
“In some cases, we share water sources with wild animals from Toro Semuliki wildlife reserve because we don’t have any option. All the boreholes in the communities no longer function,” Katusiime said.
 
Katusiime said that clean water scarcity is now a serious threat to the wellbeing of the residents.
 
“Recently two women were raped on their way from fetching water in the evening hours. We are finding it difficult to access water and nothing is being done to address the crisis,” Katusiime said.
 
Innocent Mugisa a resident of Hakibale said that shortage of water has exposed the residents to waterborne diseases.
 
In Kasenda sub-county residents have resorted to fetching water from the crater lakes which has also exposed them to diseases like bilharzia.
 
“Cases of bilharzia have increased but people cannot stop going to the crater lakes because they don’t have an alternative,” said.
 
Emmanuel Akugizibwe a resident of Kasenda said that all the boreholes which broke down many years ago have not been repaired.

Available information from the district water department indicates that clean water coverage in Kabarole stands at 80.2 per cent, however, on the ground, the situation is different as some sub-counties like Karangura don’t have any water collection source constructed by the district.

Ericana Kahuzo the Karangura LCIII chairman said recently people in the sub-county depend on water from River Nyamwamba which they share with animals.

“We don’t have any functional water source in the entire sub-county and our budget is very low. We cannot afford to rehabilitate the already broken community standing taps,” kahuzo said.