By Beatrice Anywar
STATE MINISTER FOR WATER & ENVIRONMENT
“Water is life, and clean water means health,” goes a popular phrase often attributed to Audrey Hepburn, a British actress and humanitarian, implying that ‘any right to one’s life or the lives of others, including other living things, presupposes a right to water.’
And this is what the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government is setting out to achieve and so far, Thirty one million and five hundred Ugandans (31, 500,000) are now able to access clean water country wide.
This represents 70 percent of the total population estimated at Forty five million per 2020 statistical estimates. The Ugandan Government’s goal is to ensure 100 percent clean water access by 2040.
These details are captured in a report prepared by the ministry of Water and Environment. The report highlights what was achieved/delivered by the NRM government in the last five years in line with the party’s 2016-2021.
The ministry is also not shy to highlight where it fell short of hitting targets and also goes on to offer some solutions/ suggestions.
In 20216, the ministry set out to increase access to clean and safe water for all Ugandans from 65.7% (29.2million Ugandans) in 2016 to 80% (36million) in 2021. However, it managed to hit 70% average (31 million) Ugandans.
When you break it down further, increased access to clean and safe water now stands at 69% from 65% in rural areas and 79.1% from 77% in urban areas, respectively—this represents overall 70% water coverage on average.
In the last five years, overall, a total of 38,517 villages representing 66% out of the total 57,974 villages in the country have been served with clean water. So far 35 districts have their water coverage above 80%. The ministry has managed to construct 132,341 domestic water points countrywide of which 41,112 (deep boreholes), 21,590 (shallow wells), 29,097 (protected spring), 20,306 (PSP/taps) and 20,236 (rain water harvesting tanks) serving 27, 797,316 people. An additional delivery of water to 23,910 wards within towns and municipal councils were served by NWSC under the SCAP-100 and MWE projects.
Out of the promised 5000 bore holes, the ministry managed to drill 4230 translating into 84.6% performance. These have helped serve an extra 253,800 people across the country.
On a closer scrutiny, the ministry also under 2016-2021 Kisanja managed to complete designs for 12 Gravity Flow Schemes and construction in small towns which include; Nyarwodho GFS-Phase II in Nebbi; Bududa-Nabweya GFS Phase II in Bududa; Bukwo GFS II in Bukwo;Rwebisengo Kanara GFS in Ntoroko; Lirima-Phase II (Manafwa), Bukedea (Sironko, Kween, Kapchorwa, Bulambuli) and Orom (Kitgum). Other Completed design and feasibility studies are for Bwambara-Bugangari (Rukungiri); Nyamugasani (Kasese); Ngoma–Wakyato (Nakaseke); Ogili (Agago); Potika (Lamwo). Construction is on-going for Lirima – Phase II (Manafwa) at 93.8% and Bukedea (Sironko, Kween, Kapchorwa, Bulambuli).
The target to construct 19 water supply systems in selected towns was completed and surpassed. So far 36 schemes were constructed and are benefiting 547,670 people in 40 towns. On a pledge to construct 10 new town piped water systems, 7 new towns in Kasagama, Kinuuka, Namagera, Nyahuka, Iziru, Busede-Bugobya and Kaperabyong, Kayunga including Kamuli FSM were completed. While 4 new towns of Mpara Nakasongola, Nakapiripirit and Kyamuhunga are under design phase. The pledge to design and construct 33 piped water supply systems is at various levels of implementation. For example, construction of 6 water supply schemes was completed in Bulegeni, Kacheri-Lokona, Bugobya, Bulambuli, Namayingo, and Olilim. Those on going include 5 towns of Kagadi (70%), Nazigo (20%), Kasanda (18%), and Ofua (60%), 13 towns have been designed to completion, 6 towns are still under design, and 3 Towns not yet designed Mukura, Baale and Wobulenzi.
LARGE TOWNS AND SUPPLY
Eager to fulfill all manifesto pledges, the ministry through National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) expanded services to 257 large towns and installed 12,028 Public Standpipes (PSPs) serving 9,909 villages and benefiting an estimated 10.6million people.
There was also an increase in piped water main network system from 9,960km to 19,268km and new connections during 2016-2021 Kisanja standing at 222,091.
The growth in the new connections, according to the ministry, is attributed to various interventions implemented in the form of network expansion and intensification, production and supply stabilization and as well as takeover of new towns—all this translated into growth in new water demand.
With respect to Presidential Guidelines and Directives NWSC also extended water to industrial parks in Bweyogerere, Luzira, Kasese and Soroti.
WATER FOR PRODUCTION
In the last 5 years, the Government also set out to invest in water for production infrastructure to boost commercial agriculture and industrial activities to address the increasing effects of Climate Change. The emphasis was on construction of large and small scale water schemes for irrigation, livestock and rural industries.
As a result, the Government completed construction of two large multipurpose dams in Ongole, Katakwi district (1bn litres) and Mabira, Mbarara district (1.1bn litres). It also constructed six medium scale irrigation schemes covering 3,976 hectares namely; Rwengaaju in Kabarole District (70%) ; Tochi (500ha) in Oyam District (86%) ; Mubuku-II (480ha) in Kasese District (63%); Doho-II (1,178ha) in Butaleja District (80.5%) ; Ngenge (880ha) in Kween District (87.5%) ; and Wadelai (1,000ha) in Pakwach district (53%).
As if that was not enough, the Government also completed construction of 70 small scale irrigation schemes across the country. 153 valley tanks with a storage capacity of 458,370m3 were also constructed in the districts of Isingiro, Mbarara, Kiruhura, Lyantonde, Tororo, Soroti, Kaberamaido, Bukedea, Gomba, Kabarole, Kamuli, Kiboga, Katakwi, Kitgum, Kyankwanzi, Lwengo, Ntungamo, Sembabule, Kayunga, Nakasongola and Mubende.
The current cumulative storage capacity for water for production stands at 41.124 Million Cubic Meters (MCM) and the irrigation area stands at 19,138ha.
SANITATION
In other areas like sanitation which also falls under the ministry of Water and Environment, the NRM government performed wonders there in the last five years. For instance there was an increase in coverage level in rural areas from 77% to 79%, while in urban areas 87.4%. Five faecal sludge management plants were put up in Pallisa, Apac, Kiboga, Nakasongola and Kamuli.
“The NWSC increased Sewerage connections to 23,796. The total sewer network is 670kms countrywide representing 30%, the report highlights.
WHAT WENT WRONG
The ministry achieved overall targets by 70%. And a close analysis of the report points out what could have gone wrong.
The low increase in safe water coverage has been attributed to the fast growing population. In 2016 the population was estimated at 39.65 million and by 2020 was estimated at 45.7 million. To make matters worse, despite this growth, the District Water and Sanitation Conditional Grant has remained stagnant at 52bn for the last 15 years despite the increase in number of Local Governments. To date on average a district receives UGX370m for construction of water points and office running. This on average can construct 4-5 boreholes. This proved hard to hit some targets.
Land disputes between owners and sometimes government on where to set the project and anticipated delays in the completion of feasibility studies and designs under the ministry and NWSC are some of the other salient issues.