Water borne diseases are looming large in Kasese district.
A serious crisis of safe drinking water has gripped many residents of Kasese town, which is currently ranked top on the list of districts with unsafe water in Uganda.
A report by the consortium of Civil Society Organizations, states that a third of the deaths recorded in Lake Katwe and Katwe Kabatooro town Council are water related diseases. Diseases killing the people range from diarrhea, typhoid, cholera and dysentery.
In Katwe Kabatooro town council, the multi-million water supply scheme constructed in 1990's is already rusting away rendering the water unsafe for drinking. The water is not worth drinking due to salinity and arsenic contamination.
Excessive salinity also makes water of the local ponds undrinkable.
In Katwe Sub-County, people depend on Gravity Flow Scheme-GFS- from Kahokya wetland. The Gravity Flow Scheme was built by Kagando Rural Development Centre and commissioned in August 2009.
Mwirima however says the Gravity Flow Scheme has unreliable water supply due to poor workmanship. He also says women and children have to walk for long under the scorching heat of the sun to fetch 'relatively safe' water from a few ponds at far off places.
George Bagonza, the Chairperson of Beach Management Unit at Kasenyi Landing site, on Lake George says a sample tested by the Ministry of Health found out that 20 out of every 50 people have Bilhazia.
James Mwirima, of the consortium of civil society organiosations, says the majority of deaths are children below the age of five.
Geoffrey Okello, the Water officer for Katwe Kabatooro town Council, said even 60% of the treated water in the reservoir tanks is wasted because of the leakages.
The 330.000 cubic meters supplies a population of 50.000 who are also surrounded by Queen Elizabeth National Park and have no any other sources.
In Katunguru landing site, the only source of water is the open Kazinga channel, which is open to the community.
