Masindi residents share water source with animals, MP intervenes

Masindi: The Woman Member of Parliament for Masindi District, Dr. Florence Asiimwe, has called on local leaders to implement sustainable measures to ensure the continued functionality of boreholes in the district.

Speaking during the official handover of a rehabilitated borehole to residents of Gorora Cell in Kigulya Division, Masindi Municipality on Monday, Dr. Asiimwe emphasized the need for long-term solutions to prevent recurrent breakdowns.

The borehole had been non-functional for four months, forcing residents to resort to unsafe water sources.

Following a petition from the affected residents, Dr. Asiimwe personally funded the repair of the facility. She highlighted that the government’s efforts to expand access to clean water are being undermined by the frequent malfunctioning of water sources, which exposes communities to preventable waterborne diseases such as cholera and typhoid.

“The breakdown of boreholes pushes residents to dangerous alternatives. We must ensure these facilities remain functional,” Dr. Asiimwe said. “I urge leaders in areas with boreholes to establish systems that enable residents to contribute a small user fee for maintenance.”

Her call for sustainability was echoed by Hassan Mugisa, the Secretary for Production in neighboring Nyabinyira Cell. He noted that the borehole serves both Gorora and Nyabinyira residents, who were left with no choice but to either buy water or share unsafe sources with animals in an abandoned fish pond.

Mugisa also revealed that a previous initiative to collect a modest maintenance fee of UGX 1,000 per household per month failed due to non-compliance from the community.

Residents expressed gratitude to Dr. Asiimwe for her timely support, saying the restored borehole would protect them from disease and prevent children from drowning in unsafe water sources.

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