Water Ministry procures motor cycles to enhance rural water supply

PIC: Hand over of procured motor cycles Pictures by Agnes Nantambi

Ministry of Water and Environment has procured Motor cycles to help the rural population receive uninterrupted water supply. The Motor cycles about ten of them, were given to Umbrella Water Authorities which were given the task to manage rural water projects.

Speaking during the handover of the Motor cycles to four of the six umbrella Authorities which include, Karamoja, Midwestern, Northern and South Western umbrella Authorities, the Permanent Secretary Ministry of Water Alfred Okot Okidi warned his staff against no performance saying good results are waiting for performers.

"When you don't perform, it means our people will not get clean and safe water yet our target is to ensure that access to clean and safe water reaches 100%,"he said.

Okidi explained that water supply requires commitment by the supply since ‘water is life' to ensure that people can access clean and safe water in order to have a healthy minds.

He however observed that non-revenue water is still a big challenge to the Authorities saying that his ministry is currently working out modalities to reduce on loses from Non-revenue water.

"Currently the non-revenue water is standing at 36% and our target is to reduce it to not more than 15% through provision of meters and we are ready to ensure quick response to bursts on very short notice to ensure that less water is lost, "he said.

"This will also give us the ability to reach to all customers so that we fight against illegal connections," he added.  Okidi said transport was one of the biggest challenge faced in service delivery saying that motor cycles will enhance rural water supply.

"Motor cycles are the most appropriate transport in rural areas, we have started with four of them and we hope to provide more, "he said

The Commissioner urban water and sewerage services Eng. Dominic Kavutse expressed happiness that about 500 water projects are professionally managed by recognized water Authorities.

Eng. Pierre Rwaka,  the manager Northern Umbrella of water Authority said the motor cycles will greatly help in the routine supervision of the projects being managed under umbrellas in Northern region.

"At scheme level, we have plumbers who require regular supervision but we have been having inadequate transport, so this will go a long way in helping addressing the transport challenge, "he said.

He said that out of the 186 water projects in Northern Uganda, the Northern Umbrella is directly managing only 45 projects. According to Kavutse, umbrellas are managing 35 projects in South western out of 440, 43 in Midwestern region and 23 out of 47 projects in Karamoja region.