Uganda:Relief as water-stressed areas get four boreholes

Residents in water-stressed areas of Kapelebyong District are relieved after getting four boreholes in their community.

Speaking at the commissioning of a borehole in Olilia ‘B’ Village in Okungus Sub-county, Kapelebyong, Ms Carolina Atim a resident, said: “This is a blessing to our communities, we thought we would never have a clean water source but now we have it, thanks be to God.”

Ms Atim said locals had been trekking approximately three and a half kilometres to fetch water and they were forced to share the few available water sources with livestock.

The district woman councillor representing Okungur Sub-county, Ms Teddy Alinyo, said the clean water sources will now bring relief to families.

Ms Alinyo said the absence of near and sufficient clean water sources has been a major cause of gender-based violence cases in families. She added that some men would assault their wives over allegations of infidelity because of trekking a long distance to and from the water sources.

Kapelebyong District is composed of eleven sub-counties and 326 villages with a total population of more than 40,000 people. Their water coverage has been standing at 77 percent with a total of 474 functional boreholes.

However, the selected villages have never benefited from clean and safe water sources although government policy requires every village to have a clean water source.

The boreholes were drilled by a private company in Olilia ‘B’ Village, Acegerekuma, Oliabai and Angopet.