Water shortage has hit Kabale town, raising concerns of a potential disease outbreak among residents following the breakdown of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) pump at Lake Bunyonyi.
Despite NWSC being the primary supplier of clean water to Kabale town’s population of over 40,000 people, majority of residents and business owners have been relying on nearby streams and springs on the outskirts of the town for the past week. Vendors are now selling a 20-litre jerrycan of water at prices ranging between Shs1000 to Shs1500.
Mr Waswa Bukhari, a hotel owner in Kabale Town, revealed that he spends Shs5000 daily to transport water from a nearby spring, a significantly higher cost than usual. Additionally, Ms Daisy Twakiire, a resident, expressed how she’s been forced to run her hotel only half a day due to the water scarcity.
Mr Aggrey Matsiko, a businessman highlighted the dilemma faced by the community, with people resorting to using motorcycles to fetch water from distant streams and springs, incurring additional costs. Mr Matsiko questioned the role of both municipal and district leaders in overseeing service delivery in the area.
Sam Arineitwe, the LC3 Chairman for Central Division in Kabale Municipality, warned of potential sewage line breakdowns due to the lack of water for urinals and toilets.
“I want to appeal to National Water to move fast because this is something that has taken a lot of days. It also puts us in a situation of wanting to know if something like this has happened, what can we do?” Mr Arineitwe said.
However, Patrick Otim, the Manager of National Water and Sewerage Corporation in Kabale District, attributed the crisis to the breakdown of high-yielding water pump motors at NWSC Bunyonyi intake. He assured that a team is actively working to rectify the issue and expects to reconnect clients within the next 24 hours.
“One of our motors got damaged, it is a high engine motor. Currently, we are running at 40% capacity using the slightly smaller pump to produce water for the town. This production capacity is not enough to meet the demands of the town but the technical team is on ground. We received a new motor, they are fitting it,” Mr Otim told KFM.
