200 family heads held over pit latrines in Hoima

Sep 20, 2001

OVER 200 head of families from two sub-counties of Buseruka and Bugambe in Hoima district were on Wednesday arrested on the orders

By Amlan Tumusiime in Hoima OVER 200 head of families from two sub-counties of Buseruka and Bugambe in Hoima district were on Wednesday arrested on the orders of the district director of health services, Dr. Emel Mathew, for having no pit latrines at their homes. The suspects were handed over to the sub-county authorities for disciplinary action. Emel told reporters in his office on Thursday that there was severe dysentery in the district and he feared an outbreak of cholera due to lack of latrines in several homesteads. He said the latrine construction campaign exercise would continue in every village in all the sub-counties and the defaulters would be arrested. “We have spent enough time on Radio Hoima, telling people to construct latrines, but they thought we are joking and now time has come to arrest them,” Emel said. He said the mobile team is comprised of all health officials from 12 sub-counties. Several housewives were arrested for not encouraging their husbands to construct pit latrines. Emel said the BAT market store at Kabaale belonging to Plan Bazara, which accommodates over 100 farmers, was also closed for lack of a latrine. A nearby maize mill was also closed.

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});