Pader District has commissioned 19 water and sanitation facilities worth Shs276.9 million, expanding access to safe water in rural communities as district leaders called on residents to safeguard the infrastructure to ensure its long-term functionality. The projects, implemented during the 2025/2026 financial year, comprise eight newly drilled boreholes worth Shs174.5 million, 10 rehabilitated boreholes valued at Shs77.5 million and one drainable latrine.
They were officially handed over on Monday at Tuma-yii Village in Porogali Sub-county after district officials inspected the completed sites. According to Ministry of Water and Environment records, Pader’s safe water coverage stands at 95 percent. However, District Water Officer Eng. Patrick Olanya cautioned that the figure does not accurately reflect the current situation because it is based on data collected during the internally displaced persons (IDP) camp era. “People have since returned to their villages, so the current settlement pattern is different,” Olanya said.
He noted that the district’s third-quarter report dated April 29, 2024, found that only 80 percent of boreholes were functional. He added that repeated requests to the Ministry of Water and Environment for rehabilitation of ageing water sources have yet to receive a response. Olanya explained that the new boreholes were constructed in communities beyond the National Water and Sewerage Corporation service network. He said communities are responsible for fencing the facilities and planting trees around the water points to protect them.
He also revealed that a planned borehole in Akwara was dropped after residents failed to provide land for its construction. “If communities fail to protect these facilities, the district can take them over or even dismantle them if they become a public health risk,” Olanya warned. Residents welcomed the new facilities, saying they would reduce the long distances travelled in search of clean water.
Josephine Ayaa, a resident of La-odo Village in Ogom Sub-county, said the new borehole would save families time and improve access to safe drinking water. In Pagor Village, Kineni Parish, Pukor Sub-county, Jennifer Akumu said the community had endured years of water shortages but now had reliable access to clean water. She appealed to the district to also improve access to health and education services.
Pagor Village Chairperson Simon Lagen pledged that residents would safeguard the new water source. “We know what it means to live without safe water. We shall take responsibility for this facility,” Lagen said. Moses Rubangeyo, chairperson of the water user committee in Ogeng, said residents had gone nearly 30 years without a borehole before the new facility was drilled.
He, however, accused a section of youths of vandalising the community-built fence around the water point. Ogom Sub-county LC III Chairperson Bosco Amone urged residents to use the improved water supply to strengthen sanitation and hygiene. “Water cannot be separated from sanitation. Use it to improve hygiene and construct household latrines,” Amone said.
Representing the Chief Administrative Officer, Principal Assistant Secretary Joyce Anek Ongee said the district would continue responding to community priorities through improved service delivery. She urged residents to take ownership of the facilities, saying their sustainability depends more on community management than government supervision-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
