Water scarcity hits Namayuba village

WAKISO-Residents of Namayuba in Wakiso district have asked the Ministry of Water and Environment to extend water to different villages including Namayuba to curb the water scarcity in the area.

According to Sarah Namugga, the woman councilor Wakiso district, clean water has been extended to only four villages out of the 17 villages of the bigger part of the community. The villages which don't have water include, Kyanuuna, Naggulu, Kaseeta, Buluka, Mikka town, Kyanuuna-Kibizi, Mabanga, Basaku, Bukuku, Luttisi, Jjondwe, Malangata, Kivule and Buwasa. 

To address the challenge, the water ministry, commissioned a sh600m($162.167.44) Namayuba solar-powered water supply scheme to improve on the water supply services in the rural growth centers and small towns.

However, Namugga said the system is not enough to satisfy their thirst for safe and clean water.

"Since water scarcity is one of our biggest challenges, this water system is not sufficient enough to satisfy the thirst we have for safe and clean water in the seventeen villages," she said.

Patience Nakungu, a farmer said she accepted water pipes to pass through her land hoping that piped water will be extended to her community but this did not happen.

"The borehole where I fetch water, I paid sh7000 for registration and sh.4000 per month for maintenance of the borehole. I use five jerricans daily and live far away from the borehole,"  said Nakungu.

The permanent secretary at the water ministry, Alfred Okot Okidi said, the ministry's major focus is to ensure that every village at least has a piped water source where people can draw clean and safe water.

Speaking during the launch of the solar photovoltaic energy packages for Namayuba water supply and sanitation system  recently, Okidi said, the energy for rural transformation project III will provide the least  cost energy solutions to the communities where water schemes are to be installed."

According to Okidi, the credit Ugandan government received from the International Development Association, (IDA) and Global Environment facility towards the cost of the project was used to supply and install solar photovoltaic energy packages for twelve schemes across the country. These areas include, Buvuma, Namayuba,Buhungu,Irundu,Namwiwa,Amudat,Minakula,Dzaipi,Kubala,Kapelebyong,Kotido and Orom.

To reduce the cost of water pumping,  Okidi explained that the installed solar photovoltaic energy packages will contribute significantly to the reduction of the tariffs charged for the water supply services.

Under the Energy for Rural Transformation. (ERT) programme, co-funded mainly by the World Bank, the coordination manager ERT III, Ennanuer Buringuriza, who represented the energy ministry permanent secretary, Robert Kasande,   in his speech stated that they had partnered with the water ministry to power nearly 70 water supply schemes in 45 districts to benefit a target population of at least 300,000 people annually.

According to the ministry project coordinator, engineer Allan Mugabi, over 17,000 people living in the 17 villages will benefit from this Initiative. The villages +include, Budaali, Bakuku, Kabirigo, Kampala road, Kasanga, Malangata, Namayuba Central A and B and upper Namayuba.

According to Mugabi, on average water pumped will be 45,900 liters per day, and maximum water pumped will be 51,900 liters per day and our reservoir storage capacity is 90m3. The project has lasted nine months and three months for testing and operational acceptance.

The permanent secretary promised to address the water scarcity challenge saying: "We are going to ensure that we extend water to villages within the next one year".