The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Gulu, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Gulu district plans to allocate 7.5 billion shillings to rehabilitate and upgrade six abandoned piped water schemes originally set up to serve Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) during the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) insurgency. These piped water schemes, located in Paicho, Coope, Cwero, Labworomor, and Patiko Ajulu, were built with the support of development partners to provide safe water to thousands of displaced people.
After the majority of the displaced population returned to their villages following the end of the war in 2006, the facilities were temporarily closed. During the LRA insurgency, over 1.5 million people were displaced in the Acholi Subregion. According to Bosco Kilama, the Gulu district water officer, many development partners helped provide safe water during the conflict.
However, when the displaced communities returned home, maintaining these facilities became challenging due to limited resources and a small population unable to raise funds for their upkeep. As a result, clearance was obtained from the Ministry of Water to temporarily close the unutilized facilities until government funding could be secured to operate them.
“When the displaced communities moved back to their homesteads, maintaining these facilities became a problem because there were few people who could manage to raise some money for maintenance of the facilities. We got clearance from the Ministry of Water for the unutilized facilities to be temporarily closed until government gets some money to operate them,” says Kilama.
Kilama explained that the water systems were originally emergency measures and were not properly designed for long-term use, requiring redesigns before they could be operationalized. For example, in Patiko, a redesign was completed in the 2015/2016 financial year and submitted to the Ministry of Water for approval. The upgraded facility will provide water to Patiko Health Center III, schools like Ajulu Primary, Kiju Primary, Patiko Seed Secondary, and surrounding communities.
Similarly, the Labworomor water scheme was redesigned in 2021/2022 and is awaiting funding for implementation. The Cwero facility was designed in 2018/2019, and the Ministry of Water is managing its upgrade.“For Patiko, we did the design in the 2015/2016 financial year and submitted the design to the Ministry of Water and it was approved. The Ministry of Water will implement the upgrade of the facility to provide water to Patiko Health Center III, the market, schools like Ajulu Primary School, Kiju Primary School, Patiko Seed Secondary School, and the surrounding communities,” he said.
Patrick Komakech, the L.C. III Chairperson of Patiko Sub County, expressed impatience over the delay in operationalizing the Patiko Ajulu water scheme, noting that the community had high expectations after wells were dug, but hope was diminishing as the project stalled.“They dug two big wells and told us that the wells will supply the entire township of Ajulu. They raised our expectations but at the end of the day, people are now losing hope,” he said.
Noel Muhangi, the senior public relations officer at the Ministry of Water and Environment, explained that the delays were due to limited funding for such rehabilitation activities. He noted that the ministry has a regional plan to rehabilitate and upgrade water systems but is constrained by financial limitations. However, he assured that some facilities would be prioritized when the next phase of funding becomes available.
“The extent of backstopping to such non-gazette areas is always limited due to limited funding received to undertake such rehabilitation activities,” said Muhangi. “We can prioritize a few of these when the next phase of funding materializes,” he added. The rehabilitation of these water schemes is crucial for improving access to safe water in the affected areas, and the district authorities are hopeful that the funding challenges will be addressed soon.
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