Masulita's cry for water, one borehole serves 500 homes-Water Day Supplement

For years, Masulita has struggled to develop, but the people hardly have water to use on a daily basis and they want the Government to help them because some risk their lives fetching water late in the night. UMAR NSUBUGA visited the area and tells the story.

WATER shortage has hit residents of Masulita town and even the nearby areas. Many of the residents are forced to fetch water late in the night when the only borehole is less congested. Masulita is located in Wakiso district, about 25 miles from Kampala off Kakiri.

The water shortage has increased because all the spring wells were destroyed and the second borehole near the police station is not functioning. According to residents, it needs sh12m to be repaired. The third borehole in this area is used by Masulita vocational training centre students only. Most of water tapes which are found in this area function late in the night and most of the time they don’t have water.

Nsumba Kasenge, a motor cycle repairer is one of the residents of Masulita, town. Nsumba is married and his wife is expecting a baby. Thus, presently, the responsibility of fetching water has lies on him. “My wife is pregnant and she can’t wait for people who are more than 100 at the well to get water,” says Nsumba.

In Masulita water is money. Margaret Nakamate a water pump attendant in Masulita town says a 20-litre jerrycan costs sh500. Uganda Women’s Effort to Save Orphan (UWESO) has also jumped on the lucrative bandwagon in the name of helping the residents, but the water is still on and off. They are also some people who have plastic tanks and harvest rain water when it rains and then sell it to residents. “Masulita Vocational training centre has a borehole, but it is private, so it is not easy to access the water,” says Brian Ssentongo a boda boda rider.

“Every time we are in the dry season, we experience water shortage and work comes to a standstill,” says Salongo Kibirenge William LC1 chairman. Some people who stay near UWESO offices have access to water taps, but Kibirenge, explains that majority of the people have many jerrycans and water tanks where they store water. “But my village has almost 500 homes so those who have plastic tanks are few.

Water is a miracle in Masulita

The Government should help to repair our second borehole because we cannot afford the sh12m needed to repair it,” says Kibirenge. Sometimes people pay water carriers to fill their tanks and jerrycans. Senoga Steven, a resident of Kirolo a nearby area says Masulita is still backward in water supply. Sarah Nansikombi a kiosk vender explains that some men on bicycles sell water in town at sh500 per 20 litre jerrycan, however, most people cannot afford to buy the water.

Although there are two privately owned water sources in Masulita town namely; the Masulita vocational training centre taps and UWESO tanks, these sources are not enough to serve all the people in the town. A resident who preferred anonymity said, when politicians are seeking votes they promise to provide water, but when the elections are over they just remain in their offices they do not care about the poor Masulita residents.