Only 2 latrines for over 400 Bugala residents

There is low latrine coverage at Bugala landing site in Mukono district, over 400 people share two latrines. As a result people scatter human waste around Lake Victoria because the latrines cannot accommodate the big number of people.

The residents told a delegation of members of Parliament (MPs) under the Uganda Parliamentary Forum on Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (UPF -WASH) that they are currently using the bush near the lake to ease themselves.

MPs feared that such poor hygiene might contaminate the fish since a lot of waste and toxins are entering the lake. Besides open defection the residents at the landing site use the same lake to bath and wash clothes.

 The MPs who had gone to monitor the status of sanitation, hygiene and access to safe water were hosted by Uganda Water and Sanitation NGO Network (UWASNET).

A woman washes clothes at the bank of L. Victoria at Bugula landing site in Mukono district.

The delegation led by Kyaka County MP, William Kwemara asked district officials to come up with the idea of constructing EcoSan toilets to stop the waste from going into the Lake.

The EcoSan toilet is a closed system that does not need water, so is an alternative to pit latrines in places where water is scarce or where the water table is high and the risk of groundwater contamination is increased.

The district together with Katosi women development trust have come with up with a programme to construct permanent latrines at the landing site.

Yossa Kazimoto, the sanitation and hygiene officer of the district said, the construction of more latrines will improve sanitation and hygiene practices.

Access to safe water and adequate sanitation is a basic human right and an essential first step to protect human health.

Currently 11.5million Uganda do not have access to safe water and a lot more do not have access to improved standards of sanitation and hygiene. About 35% of the population in Uganda do not wash their hands after toilet use.

Kazimoto said recently Katosi landing site was closed over poor sanitation and hygiene but after improvement the Landing site was reopened.

Residents of Bugula landing site sun dry silver fish locally known as Mukene

Commonest diseases

Kazimoto said diarrhoea, Typhoid, intestinal warms and Bilharzia are the commonest diseases which are affecting the fishing community. 'Through Vector tropical disease programme the district has been treating the residents twice a year, 'he said.

Vox pops

Steven Asimwe; we have only two latrines and they are not enough, we have decided to use the nearby bush to ease ourselves. The issue of sanitation and hygiene will never improve unless we have permanent latrines.

Children fetch water from the lake at Bugula landing site

Katusabe Rugarasini; We want government to intervene we need permanent toilets and the hospital, we are suffering and we have nothing to do. Since we drink water direct from the lake, we are attacked with many diseases such as Malaria, diarrhoea and typhoid.