National Water connects 65,000 residents to clean water in Kapeeka

WATER AND SANITATION

At least 65,000 residents of Kapeeka, Ssemuto and the surrounding communities in Nakaseke district have gained access to clean and safe water after the completion of a sh12b water project in the area.

The Kapeeka Water Supply Project was undertaken by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to benefit five sub-counties and Town Councils in both Nakaseke and Kiboga districts.

The sub-counties and town councils include Kapeeka, Ssemuto, Nakaseke and Ngoma in Nakaseke district and Bukomero in Kiboga.

Singo Military Barracks is the biggest consumer.

The water is drawn from River Mayanja, which separates the districts of Kiboga and Nakaseke, near the point where the army used to generate unprocessed water for the barracks.  

A team of board members of NWSC, led by their chairman, Eng. Christopher Ebal, Thursday toured the site to assess the progress.     

The Luwero Cluster manager, Ronald Kisaakye, said that the project also targets serving the Kapeeka Industrial Park, with already has three factories that are near completion.

PIC: A team from NWSC during their inspection of the new water plant. (Credit: Eddie Ssejoba)

According to Kisaakye, the corporation has so far achieved 250 connections and hopes to jump from 65,000 consumers to 350,000 after its expansion programme.  

The project was initiated with the aim of improving the health and sanitary conditions, as well as the economic welfare of people in the Luwero Triangle, who contributed immensely to the bush war struggle that brought the National Resistance Movement into power.

The organisation has constructed 20 public standpipes in various consumer points, where residents who cannot tap water into their houses can buy a jerrycan of water at sh50 for home consumption and other activities.

"Before this project, a jerrycan of water used to sell between sh500 and sh1,000," Kisakye noted.  

The corporation has also waived off connection fees to all consumers including commercial, domestic and public points to enable as many people as possible to access the water.

The project manager, Denis Taremwa said that the communities had supported the project by accepting the pipeline to pass in their land for up to 15kilometers from River Mayanja to Kapeeka and surrounding areas without asking for compensation.

"This area did not have access to clean water and residents welcomed it by offering free land where we have laid our pipes," Taremwa explained.