There is relief and renewed hope in parts of Arua District following the installation of two solar-powered water supply systems that have finally brought clean, safe water closer to communities that have endured years of walking long distances to streams and wells.
For decades, residents of Ojibari in Ajia Sub-county and Sungulu in Vurra Sub-county depended on unreliable and unsafe water sources, sharing shallow wells with animals or trekking to nearby rivers that often dried up during the dry season. Now, with the new solar-powered systems connected to public pipe stands, households, schools, and markets have running water within reach.
The installations are part of a larger government programme under the Ministry of Water and Environment to construct 450 solar-powered water supply systems across the country. The programme is funded by UK Export Finance at a cost of 32,351 Euros (about 1.3 billion Shillings).
For 78-year-old Esteri Bayo, a resident of Oci Village in Ajia Sub-county, the project is nothing short of life-changing. For years, she walked more than two kilometres, sometimes three, to fetch water from a stream. Age and frailty made the journey increasingly difficult.
Esteri donated a piece of her land for the project, saying she wanted her community, especially children and the elderly, to be spared the hardship she endured. Today, the tap stands just a short walk from her home. Other residents, like Joseph Amati, say the project has eased years of frustration.
In Ajia Sub-county alone, 2,559 people are expected to directly benefit from the new system. Oci Primary School is among the biggest beneficiaries, with a reservoir and tap stands installed on the school compound.
Headteacher Robert Draleni said the availability of water has transformed daily routines, reduced absenteeism and late reporting because teachers no longer have to walk long distances to fetch water.
In Sungulu Village, Vurra Sub-county, the system serves an estimated 5,049 people through eight water points distributed across the community. The demand spikes on market days, Wednesdays and Saturdays, when thousands throng Ejupala Market. The area Chairperson Joshua Anguandia says waterborne diseases that once plagued the community are now declining.
The contractor for the national project, Nexus Green Limited, designed and installed the systems. Project Engineer Emmanuel Balwanyi explained that the solar panels power the pump, run the purification unit, and even provide security lighting at the sites, making the systems efficient and sustainable.
The completion of these installations has pushed Arua District’s clean water coverage to 61 per cent, according to the District Water Office. Ajia Sub-county has registered one of the biggest leaps, from 72 per cent to 92 per cent coverage.
District Water Officer Patrick Odongo said the improvement is significant for communities long forced to depend on unsafe streams and wells. He said that before the project, many households had no choice but to use open water sources.
The Ministry of Water and Environment’s Senior Public Relations Officer, Noel Muhangi, assured residents that the government remains committed to expanding access to safe water.
According to the Water Supply Atlas, Arua District had 1,659 domestic water points as of last year, but more than 200 had been non-functional for over five years. Still, for residents like Esteri and the thousands now drawing water from clean, reliable tap stands, this project represents a long-awaited solution, and a promise of a healthier, more dignified life for the community