Budaka RDC orders LCs, VHTs to build pit latrines within one month, rejects sick goats

The Budaka Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Martin Oroch has issued an ultimatum of one month to Village Health Team (VHT) leaders and Local Councilors to construct pit latrines in their homes or face his wrath.

Oroch argued that before his taskforce rolls out its operation to the wanainchi, leaders who will be the law enforcers should lead by example.

Budaka district latrine coverage stands at 74% which means 26% households are defecating in the bushes despite the district being one of those fighting open defecation.

The RDC made these remarks on Tuesday while handing over a 508 million shillings solar powered mini piped water project site to Zhonghao Overseas Construction Company Limited, the Chinese contractor.

The handover took place at Bulumba Primary School ground in Nansanga primary school.

Orach’s remarks come in the wake of a suspected Cholera outbreak in the district that has claimed one life and left 19 others in critical condition.

The RDC vowed to move door to door checking on the sanitary facilities in all homesteads, and threatened punitive action against the VHT’s and LC’s who will not adhere to his stipulated ultimatum.

The RDC used the same function to rally people to vote for NRM party describing it as a currency paper which does not make noise but only delivers its services quietly.

‘’NRM is like paper money not coins. Have you ever seen a paper making noise like coins while in your pocket? For us NRM we are quiet, we don’t make noise like empty tins or coins,’’ Orach said as the crowd cheered.

He said government policy stipulates that by 2020 all villages must be connected to power grid and the community will receive more benefits if it votes in NRM again.

He told the parents to take advantage of the Nansanga seed secondary schools to educate their children so as to become responsible citizens in future.

Earlier on before proceeding to the handover, the RDC rejected over 200 goats procured under the Development Discretionary Equalization Grant (DDEG) a government programme intended to transform people from peasant status to middle income status.

He ordered the contractor to immediately take back the goats saying some goats were sick, undersized and others had died before distribution to the beneficiaries of Budaka sub-county.

Mr. Samuel Mulomi the Budaka district LC5 called for cooperation among the contractors and locals. He urged them to form water user committees to sensitize locals.

He asked the contractors to employ the locals than bringing workers from outside the district.

Mr. Aloysius Nabucha, the district engineer who represented the CAO Budaka, warned the contractor not to do shoddy work. He asked them to respect the community they are going to work amongst and not engage in acts like defiling girls or promiscuity which could lead to the spread of HIV.

He challenged the locals to work faithfully with the contractors and not steal the construction materials.