42% Ugandans lack latrines, says Kadaga

By Apollo Mubiru

The deputy speaker of Parliament, Rebecca Kadaga, is concerned about the lack of latrines in the country.

Uganda has one of the lowest latrine coverage levels in the world, with only 58% of the people having access to one.

“The responsibility for proper sanitation and hygiene is for every one of us. The 42% of Ugandans living without adequate sanitation and hygiene are our voters. We owe it to them to raise awareness about good health in relation to sanitation.”

She was speaking at the launch of Parliament’s sanitation photo exhibition to mark the international sanitation week on Thursday. The theme was, ‘Total sanitation: is your neighbour killing you?’

Kadaga explained that poor sanitation exerts a heavy toll on the people, erodes their dignity and self esteem, pushing them further into poverty and marginalisation.

Reports indicate that only 4% of the rural people and 6% in urban areas have a hand-washing facility near their toilets, she noted.

Sigulu Islands, a sub-county in Bugiri district has only two latrines. Moses Omunyokol, the district water officer, said that the islanders prefer easing themselves in Lake Victoria. The area has 7,820 homesteads according to the 2002 national census.

He said the residents had a belief that the lake water cannot be saturated with human waste. “Someone just walks to the waterside, lifts her skirt or unzips the trousers and releases whatever has to be released into the waters, unbothered.”

He noted that the practice posed a serious health hazard as the safe water coverage for the island is only 8%.

The assistant chief administrative officer, Patrick Ngolobe, said the cultural belief of the local Samia people living in southern Bugiri was partly to blame for the lack of latrines. “They think their unborn children will drop together with the excrement into the pits.

“It took us a long time to sensitise the locals to use the few community latrines set up in Busalwe, Buyinja, Mutumba and Banda.”