Gender expert calls for sensitize on water access

By Ritah Kemigisa

Local leaders in Nakapiripirit District are asked to sensitize their people about the dangers of consuming unsafe water.

This is after residents of Nakapiripirit town council in Karamoja sub region resorted to going back to consuming water from unsafe sources due to high water bills.

The locals claim the water meters installed by the ministry of water under small town and urban water supplies run even when there’s no water and give wrong readings.

In 2011 the ministry of water constructed a piped water system at Shs 3.7billion to enable public access to clean water.

However, the locals say the system has become too expensive for them to afford.

Now speaking to KFM, Fermina Acuba, a water and gender specialist says the problem is not the cost of water but rather poor attitude of the residents, which must be changed.

Acuba says she does not believe that people do not have money to pay water bills because they are able to spend more money on alcohol every month.

She says this negative attitude towards piped water threatens to undo the gains made by the government in increasing safe water coverage in Karamoja subregion.

Written by Noelyn Nassuuna