Government has partnered the African Development Bank (ADB) to improve access to clean water for people in the eastern district of Bukwo.
According to officials from the ministry of water and environment, clean water will be provided through the supply and sanitation programme in the five sub-counties of Riwo, Kortek, Kabei, Tulel and Karmet.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony for phase II held in Bukwo recently, Sam Cheptoris, the minister for water and environment, said the clean water project will improve the livelihood of about 54,000 people.
“Let the locals put this project [water] to good use. Let us venture into other productive activities that will enable us feed our families and also bring us some income to improve ourselves and Bukwo economically,” he said.
Cheptoris said government got Shs 6.8bn from ADB. He said managing water should be a shared responsibility between locals and the ministry. Bukwo MP Charles Cherop pledged to oversee and monitor the project. “The standards of living in Bukwo should start improving with the availability of water in homes, for agriculture and health facilities…,” he said.
The first phase of the access to clean water project began with distribution of tanks in Tulel and Karmet sub-counties.
THE PROJECT
The contract was awarded to Ambitious Construction Company at Shs 6.8 billion and the project is expected to be complete by the end of 2018. The gravity flow scheme is in the rural areas of Kapchorwa, Bulambuli, Sironko and Bukedea districts in eastern Uganda.
alfredodcho@gmail.com