During their visit to the home of The Rock aka Tororo, the B.O.D Chairman, Dr. Eng. Kiggundu coupled with his entourage met with the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Hon. Nixon Owole and the LC5, Hon. John Okea.
This was aimed at discussing the current water and sanitation situation in the Area.
In regard to water scarcity, emphasis was put on Aguru, an area whose situation was described as frustrating and absurd with a 20-liter jerican of water sold at UGX1000 instead of the UGX25 that it should be.
Eng. Kiggundu however promised that the situation was bound to change, sooner than later as the Tororo area team is already trenching and very soon will have water flowing in the area.
The RDC did applaud NWSC’s commitment to service in the Area especially within the town unlike outside the town. “In town,we have no problem at all. We do however hope that the people outside town can be catered too as well”, he stated. He went on to lament about the no-water issues in Western Budama but reported that the NWSC staff are responsive, cooperative and dedicated.
“We are aware of the issues in Tororo and we are doing everything in our power to ensure supply in this cluster”, intervened the DMD-Technical services, Eng. Johnson Amayo. He went to apologize for the frustrations that may have been caused but explained that the Water works in Manafwa that were destroyed by the mudslides, has been reactivated and very soon, some relief will come to the greater Tororo let alone the various ongoing projects bound to resolve the water supply trials in Tororo cluster and the greater Eastern Region. “We are not going to fold our hands. We have a supportive B.O.D, and we shall see to it that all is resolved”, he pledged.
The LC5, Hon. Okea thanked the B.O.D for their contribution to access to clean safe water in greater Tororo but requested that NWSC bend the rules against drilling their own boreholes. This he said with reference to the dry zone in the cluster. “Kindly make an exception for us. You can limit us to a particular but make the exception”, he urged. He also made a request that NWSC consider connecting Tororo to Lake Victoria via Busia and Majanja sighting the challenges facing the Manafwa line and the current intake source in Tororo which is small and has compelled rationing, something unsatisfactory to the people in Tororo.
Eng. Amayo clarified that the corporation has no law against drilling personal boreholes but rather regulates the process. “We have adopted a mixed model approach so that people can get the service they need”, he stressed. He then alluded to a time typhoid was an epidemic in parts of Northern Uganda to caution the LC5 against looking to boreholes as a solution in a town as vast as Tororo. “As you advocate for boreholes, assess it and understand the downsides”, Eng. Amayo advised. He also requested that the lake Victoria option be put on hold until the current water source has properly been utilized.
The issue of vandalism was raised especially in parts of Namisindwa and to it, the RDC hinted on a taskforce already cracking down on the vandalists who he believes will be stopped at every cost.
The meeting was concluded with a call for NWSC to intervene in the waste disposal in Malaba, an issue that many officials have complained about especially on the Kenyan side.
So the hope is that the Ugandan side can go ahead of the Kenyans and pilot waste water projects in the area.
To this, Eng. Amayo promised that the NWSC team would definitely look into it but also urged the LC5 to priotise identifying land that can house a sewerage treatment plant that can cater to waste water in the greater Tororo cluster. Preferably one that can be aided by gravity flow.
“We all have a common goal. To make Uganda the best place for Ugandans and those that visit so I hope we can work together to fulfill our promises to the people and better their livelihoods”, concluded Eng. Kiggundu.
