Kotido, Uganda — Government seems to be failing to address the persisting scarcity of clean water in Karamoja due to a high level of corruption from the line ministries responsible for managing water systems in the country.
A lot of money has been spent in Karamoja with no lasting impact; instead, it is the officials in the line ministries who take back large sums of money for their personal use.
For example, in 2014, the Ministry of Water and Environment rehabilitated nine windmills at the cost of Shs 1.4bn. By then, it was under the supervision of Henry Kizito, who was the ministry’s principal engineer.
Kizito said the ministry’s aim of rehabilitating the windmills in the region was to create availability of water for livestock and production.
He said the rehabilitated windmills would supply water to 6,780 heads of cattle and 1,115 people in the six districts.
He named the rehabilitated windmills then as Kobeyon in Loasam Parish in Namalu Sub-county in Nakapiripirit District.
He said the windmill had a discharge of 53,000 liters per day and only serves a total of 1,514 heads of cattle per day and a population of 265 people throughout the year.
Another windmill was in Nakobekobe in Nabilatuk Sub-county in Nakapiripirit District, which has a discharge of 30,000 liters per day and serves 857 heads of cattle and a population of 150 people throughout the year.
In Amudat District, the rehabilitated windmill is Karengeoche in Lokale Parish, Karita Sub-county, which has a discharge of 15,000 liters per day and serves 428 heads of cattle and a population of 75 people throughout the year.
In Napak District, the rehabilitated windmill is Angaro in Morungor Parish in Lotome Sub-county, which has a water discharge of 16,000 liters per day and serves 457 heads of cattle and a population of 80 people throughout the year.
Another rehabilitated windmill in Napak District is Kopupua, which has a water discharge of 20,000 liters per day and serves a total of 571 heads of cattle and a population of 100 people.
The next rehabilitated windmill in Napak District is in Loodoi in Loodoi Parish in Matany Sub-county, with a water discharge of 23,000 liters per day and serves a total of 657 heads of cattle throughout the year.
In Moroto District, the rehabilitated windmill is in Lokali in Nadunget Parish in Nadunget Sub-county, with a water discharge of 77,000 liters per day and serves a total of 2,200 heads of cattle and a population of 300 people throughout the year. Another rehabilitated windmill in Moroto is in Lokunoi Parish in Rupa Sub-county, with a water discharge of 18,000 liters per day and serves a total of 514 cattle and a population of 100 people throughout the year.
In Kaabong District, the rehabilitated windmill is in Lomanuk in Kanawakol Parish in Kapedo Sub-county, with the water discharge of 38,000 liters per day, serving a total of 1,086 heads of cattle and a population of 190 people throughout the year.
To make things ceremonial, these windmills were commissioned by the then Commissioner for Water for Production in the Ministry of Water, Eng. Richard Cong.
However, these windmills seem to have been rehabilitated just for the ceremony, but to date there is no sign of a windmill in these mentioned places.
