NEWS- Residents of Nyihanga cell, Kyabukuju ward, Rubaare town council, Rushenyi County in Ntungamo district this week embraced the commissioning of a borehole, a water facility that will serve the most parts of Kyabukuju ward and the neighboring wards.
Majority of the locals in Kyabukuju ward, the neighboring wards in Rubaare Town council have been trekking long distances to collect water from a single well in Kyabukuju ward and contaminated water from swamps and other wetlands.
The Orthodox Bishop Wenceslaus Tumuhimbise, Order of Saint Benedict Metropolitan Archbishop Russian Orthodox church of the African Province North, said that the ponds and wells in the swamps have been a threat to young children, women and girls defiled. Tumuhimbise challenged the locals to own the borehole and protect it for their own benefit.
He further alleged that some locals have been sharing the same water sources with Animals.
The locals have been given a one month grace period using the water, later they will be paying Ugx 300= per Jerrycan to help in paying the half of the project costs. He noted that after that, the jerrycan will be charged Ugx 100= only.
Bishop Tumuhimbise added that he lobbied the water facility through an NGO called WHOlives that connected him to the SUUBI Community Project Uganda based in Kampala to work on the project.
According to the Public relations to the NGO, also the procurement officer for the project from SUUBI Community Project Uganda, William Mushabe said that the project cost them over Ugx 18 million but the beneficiaries will contribute a half of the project cost.
He said the intended purpose of the NGO SUUBI Community Project Uganda is to provide clean and safe water to the community. They donate services like Borehole hand pump and electricity water pump depending on the location of the area and its development.
The Nyihanga LCI chairperson Charles Nyagire urged the locals to maintain the good protection of the water facility and put it into proper use.
Kenneth Tumuhamire, the VHT cell, said that the locals have been at a risk of contracting diseases from fetching and consuming contaminated water from the swamps.
Jim Mutambi the Kyabukuju ward councilor appealed to the locals and some leaders to stop barricading any development coming to their area.
