For years, residents of Nyamunuka Town Council in Kajara County have waited for clean piped water. That promise remains unfulfilled.
Across the 61 villages that make up the town council, safe water coverage is estimated at about 40 percent. The majority of households rely on shallow protected wells, muddy trenches and natural springs, many of which are unsafe.
In Omukagashe, Kyaruhuga II, residents gather around a community-dug well that also serves Kyaruhuga I, II, III and Ihururo villages. The water is visibly dirty, but families continue to draw it for cooking and drinking.
“The spring got faulty and we resorted to digging this community well but still this water is extremely dirty,” said Zainab Keminagano, a resident of Kyaruhuga II.
A short distance away, a government-constructed spring stands overgrown with bushes. Residents say the water from it is salty and affects food quality.
“When we cook this water, it looks like water with banana leaves,” Keminagano added, explaining that the water darkens food and leaves unusual residues.
The borehole that once served the community has broken down and remains unrepaired. In Kyabashenyi, residents say they fetch water from trenches, and that wells in the area are muddy, affecting both food and tea preparation.
“We don’t have water. We drink water from trenches,” said Benard Kamugisha of Kyabashenyi.
Former local leaders say the water crisis is not new. In 2016, under the South Western Water and Sanitation Project, there were plans to extend water from River Kahengye to Rwashamaire, with Nyamunuka expected to benefit.
“In 2016, South Western Water and Sanitation had planned to give us water which it planned to get from River Kahengye,” said James Tinkamanyirwe, a former LC3 chairperson.
River Kahengye, an ever-flowing water source bordering Ntungamo and Rukungiri districts, continues to supply water to communities, particularly on the Rukungiri side.
Leaders in Nyamunuka say the Kahengye Water Project has largely bypassed Kajara County.
“We use wells and rivers in this area. We are trying to see how we can get water from the Kahengye water project,” said Yasin Katafa Byamukama, LC3 Chairperson of Nyamunuka Town Council.
Kajara County MP-elect James Hunter Tuhakirwa acknowledged coordination gaps and pledged to address them.
“I will be removing the bottle necks so that our services come. We have always lacked somebody to articulate and follow up. That’s why the Kahengye water project is one sided,” he said.
Residents say until concrete action is taken, they will continue to rely on unsafe water sources despite living near one of the region’s most reliable rivers.
