By KT Reporter
The Kitgum Municipal Council has resolved to donate 6.2 hectares of land to the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to facilitate the implementation of the Kitgum Water Supply Improvement Project. The project, valued at Shillings12 billion, aims to increase water production in the municipality from the current 1.3 million litres per day to five million litres per day.
The resolution was reached during an emergency council meeting held on Tuesday at the Kitgum Municipal Council Hall, where councilors unanimously agreed to hand over the land located in Paibwor Village, Labongo Layamo Sub-county. The land, previously used as a dumping site, lies about eight kilometres from Kitgum Municipality. The decision marked a shift from an earlier council position. In a meeting held in early November 2025, councilors had rejected the proposal, insisting that NWSC either compensate the municipality or purchase the land.
However, during Tuesday’s sitting, members reconsidered their stance after weighing the benefits of the project to the wider community. Jane Amito, the Pandwong Ward female councilor, moved the motion to donate the land, arguing that public interest should take precedence. “The land should freely be given to the National Water and Sewerage Corporation since the project is for the benefit of the community we are serving,” Amito said. “There should be no strings attached to the giveaway. We are doing this for the people, and we should put their interests first.”
Her motion was seconded by Francis Ocakacon, the Pondwongo Ward councillor, who pointed to the persistent water shortages in Kitgum, especially during the dry season. “People of Kitgum Municipality have long suffered due to water shortage, especially during the dry season when the water table goes down,” Ocakacon said. “I am hopeful that this project will help address this issue once and for all. We should be willing to make sacrifices for the greater good of our community.”
Patrick Paul Kidega, the Alango Ward councillor, urged the Town Clerk’s office to fast-track the necessary processes to allow the project to commence without delay. “I request the office of the Town Clerk to immediately work on the resolution and inform the relevant authorities so that the project can start,” Kidega said. “We should not delay this project any further. The people of Kitgum are counting on us, and we should deliver.”
The Kitgum Municipal Town Clerk, Joseph Monday Bagonza, assured councillors that his office would promptly communicate the council’s decision to the Ministry of Local Government. “I will with immediate effect write to the Ministry of Local Government informing them about the resolution, and we will wait for further guidance on the project,” Bagonza said. Kitgum Municipal Speaker Reagan Nokrach Jovin underscored the urgency of the project, stressing the central role of water in human life.
“As water is life, meaning that without water there will be no life, it is important that this project should go on,” Jovin said. The Kitgum Water Supply Improvement Project will involve the construction of a water treatment facility on the donated land in Paibwor Village. The facility will draw water from the Aringa and Pager streams in Mucwini West Sub-county. Once completed, the project is expected to benefit about 100,000 residents and significantly ease the municipality’s long-standing water shortages.
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