Communities in Abindu Division, Nebbi Municipality, are living in fear after enduring nearly three months without piped water, forcing households to rely on unsafe streams and other contaminated sources for daily consumption and domestic use. Residents say the prolonged outage has created a desperate situation, with families spending large amounts of money on water and exposing themselves to potential health risks. Many believe the crisis could turn catastrophic once the dry spell intensifies.
Annet Olyera, a resident of Kasuku Cell, says the water shortage has drained her household finances. With a family of 10, she has spent almost Shs 150,000 on water in just three months. She fears the looming holidays will worsen the situation as children return home, increasing consumption. “The children are coming back for holidays; if there’s no piped water available, how shall we manage? Every day we use 10 jerrycans of water,” Olyera asked. She added that the price of water has sharply risen from Shs 100 to Shs 300 per 20-litre jerrycan.
Residents warn that continued reliance on stream water could lead to outbreaks of waterborne diseases, which would be costly to treat. According to local leaders, the worst-affected areas are Kasuku, Akesi, and Angir cells, where families have been scrambling for water from River Nyacara since September.
Charles Mba Olangi, the Nebbi Municipality mayoral candidate, described the situation as unacceptable at a time when access to safe and clean water should be a basic right. “The communities are still struggling to look for clean and safe water, spending more daily despite the economic hardships in households,” he said.
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Nebbi area boss, Steven Tusabe Kalyebara, attributed the crisis to damages caused during the maintenance of the Nebbi–Kei road by the Municipal Council. Several water pipes were cut in the process, disrupting the supply for months.
Tusabe revealed that NWSC lost an estimated 30 percent in sales as water was wasted during road works. Although the materials needed to reconnect the affected areas have been procured, he said the repair costs exceeded NWSC’s budget and required municipal intervention, which delayed restoration. He also noted that the piped water network currently serves 156,278 people, representing a 72 percent population growth since 2018. Nebbi Municipal Town Clerk, Muzamil Akumu, assured the affected households that a team of engineers is already reinstating the damaged pipes and that water should return “within the next few weeks.”
However, some residents argue that the problem is not limited to Abindu Division.
Johnathan Ogenmungu says water shortages are widespread across Nebbi town and questioned NWSC’s reliability. “We have challenges in the whole town. Some areas go a week without water. If another corporate body took over water supply, it would be better,” he said.
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