Currently, the average access to safe water in Kabarole district stands at 77 percent with some sub counties still facing significant challenges like Kijura town council which still stands at 7 percent. Of the 77 percent, only 27 percent of the population has access to water from protected springs, 58 percent relies on shallow well, 4 percent on boreholes and 12 percent on public taps. Since 2018, the district has been implementing a WASH master plan to conclude by 2030.

However, over the past years, the district has been grappling with WASH challenges which include limited access to clean and safe water, poor latrine coverage, open defecation and low hand washing coverage after visiting the latrine.

The Kabarole District Administrative officer (CAO), Swaibu Baraba said the National vision states that “water must be available within 300metres for every household by 2030”. He said, to realize the district’s WASH master plan by 2030, a substantial investment is required with $ 24.1mln allocated for water initiatives and $ 48.1 million for sanitation projects.

Kabarole district leaders say, some parts of the district still face the challenge of open defecation leading to increased diseases associated with poor sanitation. According to the Kabarole district health educator, Catherine Kemigabo, a lot of effort is needed to change people’s attitude. It has been noted that in Kichwamba Sub County alone, out of 31 villages in the entire sub county, 11 villages still practice open defecation.

According to the WASH Baseline sanitation and hygiene survey data report for Kichwamba Sub County, as of December to March 2024, open defecation rates in specific areas are alarming. In parishes of Bwanika, Kihondo and Mabale, open defecation rate is at 42.9 percent, 79.9 percent and 47.4 percent respectively.

Similarly, there are varying levels of improvement in water access across these parishes with Bwanika at 42.9 percent, Kihondo at 79.9 percent and Mabale at 47.4 percent. The data further indicates challenges in hygiene practices, where only 6.4 percent of the entire sub county population wash their hands after visiting the latrine and latrine coverage is at 42.4 percent. In order to address these challenges, the district has been collaborating with different partners like IRC in implementing various interventions which include the construction of new gravity flow water schemes and improved sanitation around homes.

Last month, the district launched the construction of a Uganda Shillings 900 million gravity water scheme in Bwanika parish, Kichwamba Sub County with an aim of benefiting 14 villages. According to the Kabarole district chairperson LCV, Richard Rwabuhinga,the initiative seeks to reduce dependence on water from crater lakes which have been exposed to Bilharzia and Typhoid over the years. Rwabuhinga said the water project will be constructed in three phases with the initial phase costing shs 237 mln. “Our goal is to ensure elimination of drinking or fetching water from unprotected sources by 2030. This water project will also reduce the burden of Bilharzia in Kichwamba sub county” he said.

He added that for many years, residents of Bwanika have been relying on water from crater lakes, exposing them to contamination. He revealed that collaborative efforts with partners including IRC will contribute funds to facilitate timely completion of the water project before 2026. To address WASH challenges at the household level, the district in collaboration with IRC has initiated a home improvement campaign.

Mary Ayoreka from IRC Uganda emphasized the organization’s commitment to supporting the district in implementing and achieving the WASH master plan by 2030. She said the organization’s primary focus in 2024 is on addressing the longstanding sanitation challenges in Kichwamba Sub County.She added that the intensive home improvement campaign initiated in December last year involved door to door visits for health education, raising awareness and promoting practices to enhance sanitation and hygiene.

“We initiated home improvement campaigns in December and as a result, 19 out of the 31 villages in the target area are now officially open defecation free. However, a persistent challenge remains in the area of hand washing practices” she said.

She said to address the issue of hand washing, in collaboration with other partners, they have taken an initiative to provide hand washing facilities which they anticipate that the intervention will lead to an improvement in hand washing practices.