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Moroto, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Authorities in Moroto Municipality plan to construct water-borne toilets to tackle open defecation as they gear up for city status in 2025.
Low sanitation remains a persistent challenge that contributes to the spread of diseases such as cholera and other bacterial infections. The recent census report released in October 2024 shows that 60.2 percent of the population in Karamoja lacks access to toilet facilities.
Richard Eyaru, the Town Clerk of Moroto Municipal Council said they plan to construct the toilet along the major streets as part of their strategies to have a clean environment to attract more investors.
Eyaru noted that providing free sanitation facilities within the municipality would help address the menace of open defecation. He added that the people have not been able to utilize the public toilets because of the charges. They preferred going to the undeveloped plots and streams within the municipality.
Eyaru noted that they are identifying specific areas along the streets where they will establish the water toilet facilities effective this financial year. He said that the facilities would be free of charge to enable them to manage issues of open defecation.
Eyaru said that open defecation has persisted in the urban because the government has not provided people with free facilities to cover everyone. He explained that they shall also establish the committees that will help to oversee its usage and maintenance.
Eyaru also revealed that they have plans to phase out pit latrines with instead go for modern water-borne toilets to fit the city’s status.
He said that the security lighting system in the streets will help them prevent people who may resort to mismanaging the facilities during night hours.
Anthony Abura, one of the Landlords in Natumukasikou ward, North Division observed that the high demand for houses for rent has encouraged the landlords to prioritize constructing rooms over toilets.
Abura noted that the poor soil texture has also frustrated their efforts to establish better toilet facilities that fit the bigger population.
He also noted that some tenants do not know how to use toilet facilities and this discourages them from injecting resources for construction.
Abura said that there is a need to sensitize the communities on how to use toilets and proper management before taking any action against landlords without such facilities.
‘’Some of us have constructed toilets but there are tenants who do not care about hygiene. The facilities are mismanaged and it puts people’s health at risk, even us landlords get discouraged’’ Abura explained.
John Lokiru, one of the tenants in Kakoliye Ward, South division said that the limited houses and high costs for rent have forced them to endure with homes without toilets.
Lokiru noted that the high rental fees for the houses have made landlords prioritize building houses and they forget the toilets.
He said that several concerns about the toilets have been raised but the landlords have paid the deaf and instead evicted them from the houses.
Lokiru noted that they have engaged the local leaders and the municipal council authorities over the matter but nothing has been done.
He blamed the authorities for not taking action against the stubborn landlords who construct houses without toilets.
Meanwhile, police in Kotido district are holding fourteen suspects accused of open defecation in the municipality. The suspects were arrested in the joint operations conducted on the 6th of November Hussein Hassan Sekalema, the Kotido District Police Commander confirmed the arrest stating that twelve suspects are juveniles and two adults.
Sekalema added that among the suspects is a councillor whose names were withheld who was arrested for urinating at the Kotido municipal roundabout. He added that they also arrested juveniles for defecating in the different areas of town including at the main market.
Sekalema says this is the 3rd Operation the police have carried out so far this year with a motive of instilling sanity into the public and also riding the area of criminals as they head to the festive season.
Sekalema adds that a case file CRB 241/2024 has been opened and once the statements are recorded, the suspects will be charged accordingly.
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