Forum calls on EA to speed up water, sanitation projects

The Ugandan Minister of Water and Environment, Maria Mutagamba said the National Water and Sewerage Corporation generates only 160,000 cubic litres of water but requires 250,000 cubic litres per day.

Speaking on the sidelines of the sanitation conference, David Isingoma, the corporation’s manager, said 35 per cent of all the water produced goes unaccounted for.

In Dar es Salaam, 60 per cent of water is unaccounted for, with 30 per cent of it leaked, according to a UN-Habitat report.

The conference lauded Kenya for creating the Ministry of Public Sanitation, one of the condition under the eThwikini commitments.

In some countries water and sanitation are integrated and are managed by the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

Kenya’s National Action Plan for sanitation involves the Ministries of Public Health and Sanitation, Water and Irrigation and that of Education.

John Kariuki, the deputy Chief Public Health Officer said Kenya had achieved 60 per cent of the eThekwini targets despite having a setback in resource allocation which stands at 0.1 per cent of GDP.

Ms Mutagamba, on the other hand said Uganda did not have a specific budget line for sanitation because water and sanitation programmes are integrated.

But Lydia Zigomo, the WaterAid head of East Africa Region believes Uganda’s sanitation investment strategy could help it source for sufficient finances to meet the e Thekwini requirements.

The Uganda National Water and Sewerage Corporation has acquired $52 million to upgrade its water and sewerage facilities.