A water crisis in Kabale municipality and neighboring areas has entered its seventh day causing concern among residents. As a result, a 20-litre jerrycan of water is now costing between sh1,500- 2,000.
Residents in the municipality and the sub-counties of Kyanamira, Kitumba in Kabale district as well as Bubare sub-county in Rubanda district largely depend on water supplied by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation. The water is pumped from Lake Bunyonyi, about 8.9 kilometers away from Kabale town.
The consumers say they have since last week faced a crisis since the taps ran out of water. The water shortage crisis is forcing residents to dig deep into their pockets to buy water to quench their thirst, cook and to ensure hygiene in the homesteads.
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Wasswa Bukhari, a hotelier in Kabale town says that due to the long distance from the available water spring, he is forced to spend over sh50,000 per day to buy water to make his business run. Bukhari says that the money he is spending is a reduction of the profits he would be pocketing.
Aggrey Matsiko, another businessman, says that he has opted to ride a motorcycle to fetch water from a nearby stream which he argues is not even clean and safe for human consumption.
He accuses the National Water and Sewerage Corporation of failure to explain the reasons behind the unending water crisis.
Sam Arineitwe, Central Division chairperson, says that the water crisis is hitting hard people with indoor flushing toilets since they risk clogging.
He wonders why the National Water and Sewerage Corporation has no reservoir tanks in Kabale town to help supply water in case there is a problem in the normal supply.
When contacted, Patrick Otim, National Water and Sewerage Corporation manager in charge of Kabale Branch attributed the crisis to the breakdown of high-yielding water pump mortars at Bunyonyi intake due to intermittent power supply.
Otim called for patience saying that they are working hard to have the problem sorted in the shortest period.
*Source-URN*