Rukungiri – The Ugx 55 B Kahengye water project in Rukungiri district has failed to deliver in the hands of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) 3 years after taking over from the Ministry of Water and Environment and the contractor.
On 10th November 2022, the National water sewerage corporation took over the stalled Multi- billion Kahengye water project from the contractors to have it fully completed at a function that took place at Kahengye construction site in Kebisoni town council Rukungiri district by then.
The water project was co-funded by the World Bank and the government and the construction works were commissioned by the president Of Uganda H.E YK Museveni in July 2016.
The project was aiming at providing safe water to locals in the sub-counties of Kebisoni, Buyanja, Rukungiri municipality, Bugangari and Nyakagyeme all in Rukungiri district and some parts of Ntungamo district and it was contracted to an Indian construction company called Technofab Engineering Ltd to be completed in a one year time at a tune of Ugx 44B.
However this was much later increased from Ugx 44 billion to 55 billion after Rukungiri district council passed a resolution of adding 11 billion towards the completion of Kahengye water project.
The completion work was this time contracted to Vambeco Engineering and Construction Company limited to help the first contracted company to have the project completed.
Technofab was only given the first 44 billion and the 11 billion were given to Vambeco according to the district water officer Mr Dues Twekwase.
During his visit to Kahengye water project construction site in November 2022 ,Dr. Silver Mugisha, the NWSC managing director said he is very disappointed with the contracted companies for having failed to complete the project in the agreed time.
“The project is here and it was supposed to give water to the people of Rukungiri . I want to assure you that the NWSC is going to take over to have the project completed because Ugandans in Rukungiri want water and the project was constructed with an intention of providing safe water for human consumption” Dr Mugisha said during his visit to the project.
Mr Sam Kigundu, the then manager NWSC Rukungiri area said the project was supposed to be completed in 2018 but the contractor ran bankrupt and he is apparently unable to complete the project.
” Since the NWSC has now taken over the project from the contactor, it will be completed within a short period of time and we will be producing 9.6 million liters of water on daily basis to solve the problem of water in Rukungiri district once the project is complete ” Mr Kigundu said.
At the same function, Mr Alfred Okoti Okidi, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Water and Environment officially received the project documentations from the two contractors that he later on handed over to Eng. Francis Kateeba , the NWSC branch manager Mbarara area and technical Advisor Ankole Region who represented Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha the Corporation’s Managing Director.
“This is a milestone and a step forward towards realizing the long awaited dream of providing safe and clean water to the people of Rukungiri district” .Mr Okoti said.
Mr Okoti added that “it has been long we surely waited for this project but at long last the water supply system will soon start providing clean and safe water to the intended project areas because it has been in test run for a period of 12 months” Mr Okidi said.
However 3 years now since the technical handover of this project to the NWSC, the project has never been completed and the locals are still facing the same challenges they used face before NWSC took over the water project from contractors to have it functional a thing that leaves many in space asking Questions weather Kahengye is rear or ghost.
The Rukungiri district National water and sewerage co-operation (NWSC) area manager Ms Babra Amumpaire said ” When we took over , we found that Kahengye water project had alot of issues which hinder us from completing the project in time. But we are doing our best and once in awhile we pump some water from this project and it is water from Kahengye that we apparently serving to our clients at times “.
The manager added ” it’s true it is not yet complete but we are using it the way it is and we are taking care of all other issues at this project, which I hope will be worked on and have the project completely functioning”.
Residents on Kahengye water project.
Mr David Tumwebaze, a resident of Kebisoni sub–County says that government and the district officials should come out and clearly explain what went wrong with the project.
” Currently we are using water from the Kahengye water stream that is unfit for human consumption. What is annoying is the way our gardens were seriously destroyed by the workers when they were digging trenches . We offered our land with hopes of getting water but all in vain. This is very disappointing “. Mr Tumwebaze said.
Ms Scovia Akampurira, a businesswoman in Kebisoni town council blamed the district officials for failing to monitor the project, which could have caused delays.
“Our district leadership totally failed to monitor the project, this is why the project stalled. We heard the good news NWSC is taking over , we thought the project will be completed and we will start accessing clean water “. Ms Akampurira said.
Ms Mary Asiimwe, another businesswoman in Kebisoni town council says due to lack of piped water in the town they have always been cheated by water vendors who now sell a jerry can at 500 Shillings.
The commissioning of this project raised our hopes of accessing clean water and we were very much expectant that within a short period of time we start accessing water at a cheap price apparently we are buying a jerry can of water at 500 Shillings and such huge sum of money can’t easily be raised by residents given our low levels incomes” He said.
The scheme was expected to benefit 120,000 people in Rukungiri and Ntungamo districts up to 2040.
