A US $10m gravity water scheme project has been commissioned in Uganda by President Yoweri Museveni. The 200km scheme will not only be used for farming activities but also for domestic use.
The president, who was accompanied by ministers, area Member of Parliament and district leaders, said the construction of one of the largest scheme with the capacity of serving three districts of Manafwa, Namisindwa and Tororo, was one of the pledges he made some time back.
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“We talked about having a water project here initially and people thought it was a joke, but now the water has been connected and this water serves 16 Sub Counties and it will be extended to other areas facing water scarcity,” he said.
Funds for the water project
The mega project is being funded by the government of Uganda in partnership with the African development bank. It has a capacity of 1296 cubic meters of treated water per day with the population design of over 500 households. Additionally, it has its source located in Soono village in Bukokha Sub County on river Lwakaka with over 900 connections, 387 in Tororo and 533 in Manafwa.
Mr Sam Cheptoris, the Minister of Water and Environment, confirmed the reports and urged residents to desist from vandalizing water pipes on the scheme. “The frequent bad habits of vandalizing pipes will derail the well-meaning intention of this project,” he said.
Eng Joseph Eyatu, the commissioner Rural Water and Sanitation Department in the Ministry of Water and Environment, added and said that the second phase of the project will cover the entire Manafwa and some parts of Mbale District.
“We started the first phase in 2010, which has seen extensions after a successful completion and now we have launched the second phase of the project,” he said.
