Residents decry water scarcity

Residents of Ryeru sub-county and other neighbouring areas in Rubirizi district have experienced water scarcity over the past decades owing to prolonged drought.

Now they have reason to smile the Japanese government, through a grant, constructed for them a number of water points.

While commissioning some of the water points last week, there were celebrations allover the sub county.

The Rubirizi district Vice Chairperson John Mubangizi said the water points will help a number of locals who have been fetching water from Lake Kako.

Agnes  Kemirembe, a 50 year old woman, said the area has experienced water shortage ever since she was a child.

"When I was five years,  we used to go to the lake to fetch water and sometimes we could go there twice a day but it was far from home," she said.

The water scarcity has forced many children to skip school as they go to the lake to fetch water.

Jane Namukasa  said the water from the lake is contaminated yet at times they are forced to drink it without boiling it.

"Disease like cholera, dysentery used to disturb us and our children because we were not boiling water for drinking," she said.

  The residents also said some people drowned in the lake.

"Many of our relatives have died.’Every six month we could bury an average of six people," said Richard Gume, the Ryeru sub county chairperson.