Hoima leaders livid with NWSC over dry taps

Since Hoima was declared a city in 2021, it has seen an increase in population, but also the demand for quality and consistent social services like power, clean and safe water.

However, the 'Oil City' hardly enjoys flow of water, with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) saying the problem blaming the dry taps on power outages.

Hoima has 1,045 domestic water points which serve a total of 227,487 people and 194,064 in rural areas, 152 water points have been non-functional for over 5 years and are considered abandoned, with only two piped schemes.

Tom Mbazira, the NWSC Hoima area manager, says whereas they would want to have water supplied 24 hours a dy and seven days a week, power outages don't allow them.

"We have the capacity to supply the city, but water scarcity is due to people outages, we encourage our customers is to ensure that when water comes fetch and fill up your tanks, jerry cans, and sauce pans in case it disappears you are sorted," Mbazira said.

However, in an engagement with both district leaders and city leaders, Uthuman Mugisha, the district chairman, lashed out at NWSC over what he called "cheap accuses", saying power cannot be a challenge with national water that has existed for long with the capacity to buy solar or a generators.

"When National Water complains about power as a reason for water scarcity, I get irritated," he said. "How can this be? Wake up, people, you are a giant company that has existed for a long time, can't you have a generator or solar power at least?"

Mugisha did not have kind words for the officials, who he accused of failing to supply the smaller urban town of Hoima, and then they are thinking of extending water to the neighbouring areas.

"You can't supply Hoima City well, then you are telling us how you want to extend to other areas, how realistic is that?" he fumed.

"First concentrate and work around improving your capacity then you can think of extending."

Mbazira implored leaders to advise people to also take advantage of the rainy season that can help in case tap water is not available.

"But we are in a rainy season, people just watch on as rainwater is flowing then run to the taps and say there is no water," he said.

"We want you leaders to help us tell people to harvest rain water, not in bad faith but we are doing our best to ensure that we serve the population."

Mbazira was barked by the Hoima City West resident city commissioner Amri Kintu Kasuga, who said rainwater can be helpful, especially with doing domestic work like washing utensils, mopping houses, among others.

"Actually, I want to buy in to the idea of rainwater, it doesn't make sense to use tapwater for washing cars, utensils, mopping houses, and so on, but also it can be used for irrigation and if harvested well can be used to cook and drinking," he asked.