Jessica Nyamukonzo a resident of Katiri Parish in Kilembe Sub County says her parish entirely depends on river Nyamwamba for domestic water since there is no piped water.
A strange colour and strong stench covering River Nyamwamba in Kasese District over the last few months has triggered fear of contamination among residents who depend on
its water for domestic consumption, suspecting it could be polluted
with copper and cobalt minerals.
The residents suspect that the contaminants are deposits of mineral left unprocessed and copper waste deposited along the river has been getting eroded into the river water whenever it rains.
Lately the water has changed
its colour to brown. The most affected are
residents of Kilembe Sub County where a number of piped water lines were
destroyed by floods in 2020.
The water source is also
characterized by crowding by animals and serves at least a population
of over 7,000 people including the over 2,000 students from both Bulembia and
Katiri primary schools which are adjacent to the river.
Over 1,000 residents
staying in Kilembe Mines estates are also consuming water from a few remaining
rusty metallic pipes.
Jessica Nyamukonzo, a
resident of Katiri Parish in Kilembe Sub County says her parish entirely
depends on the river Nyamwamba for domestic water since there is no piped water.
She adds that cases of
typhoid have also increased in the sub-county parish and attributes the rise to
the consumption of contaminated water.
//Cue in: “We have a
problem...//
Cue out: ...with safe
water.”//
Joyce Maloba from Road
Barrier also in Kilembe, is concerned
that people in the area may be poisoned since they don’t have alternative sources
of water.
She adds that many
households are unable to buy water from the public taps and end up using that
from the river.
//Cue in: “Amazi nago
kizibu...//
Cue out: ...waka teri
nungi.”//
Agnes Bira from Nyanjuki
ward in Kilembe says the lack of
alternative sources forces residents to drink the contaminated
water resulting, into suffering from a range of waterborne diseases.
She has asked the government to
cooperate with Kilembe mines to refurbish the water system in the area.
//Cue in: “Mulyambilhi
bakayenda batekamu...//
Cue out: ...obuyatikya
bwa amayesi.”//
Banarbus Kugoza, a farmer
in Mubuku noted that he is worried that the seemingly contaminated water might
also affect their crops.
He says the water colour
changed in 2020 when there were mass floods in the district.
“We need the government to come in and make studies to establish why the water has changed its colour and if it will have impacts on our crops, we have not had a good harvest in the last two seasons," Kugonza said.
Richard Bwomera, the LCIII
Bulembia Division says
stopping the communities from drawing water from the contaminated sources
without alternative options is not feasible.
He rather advises that the residents could
start to treat or boil their water thoroughly to prevent disease.
Augustine Kooli, the
Kasese District environment officer confirms to URN reporter that indeed the water
is contaminated since it passes through a mining area.
He adds that at the
moment there are no control measures but the district authorities have written
to government through the ministry of water to direct conduction of laboratory
tests on the water quality.
Basaija is a graduate of Uganda Christian University (UCU-Mukono) holding a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication.
He is a currently pursuing a fellowship in Gender Communications at Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications Nairobi, Kenya and expected to graduate in 2025.
He also boosts of numerous training's in the journalism arena.
Before joining URN, he had served as documentation support personnel, radio presenter and a news editor.
