Residents of Lamingonen Sub Parish in Agago District don’t have access to clean water after a multi-billion-shilling solar-powered water supply project failed to produce water due to dry geological formations. The affected communities include the villages of Lamingonen Central, Kamuk, Loch-Ken, Lukom, Lamingonen Tee-Got, and Otumpili, as well as Lamingonen Government-Aided Primary School and Loch-Ken Community School.
Terencio Opedo, a resident of Lamingonen Village, said the water system only functioned briefly after it was completed. “When the installation was completed, we fetched water only once, and then it dried up,” Opedo said. “Look at how dirty my body is. I do not want to be dirty because we are being told to maintain hygiene due to the threat of Ebola.”
Opedo said a nearby borehole has also failed to provide water despite extensive drilling efforts. “There is a borehole nearby, but it also has no water, yet more than 40 pipes were sunk deep into the ground,” he said. He added that the water shortage is affecting education, with learners often being asked to fetch water for teachers.
“Learners are suffering. Some teachers send pupils to fetch water for them, yet the communities themselves do not have enough water,” Opedo said.
Quinto Okot Obita, the LCIII Chairperson of Lamingonen Parish, said residents continue to face severe water shortages despite significant government investment in the area. According to Obita, residents of Lamingonen and pupils at Lamingonen Government-Aided Primary School walk approximately four kilometres through mountainous terrain to collect water for drinking and domestic use.
“Learners at Loch-Ken Community School walk up to seven kilometres into neighbouring Namukora Sub-county in Kitgum District to access water,” he said. Obita warned that the lack of safe water poses serious public health risks. “If a disease outbreak occurs, people could be wiped out. Health and sanitation are already under threat because the community is relying on unsafe water sources,” he said.
He added that a dam originally constructed by Oxfam for livestock is now being used by residents for domestic purposes.
Obita also expressed concern about the security risks faced by residents who fetch water from sources located on nearby hills. “We have a water source on the hill, but Omiya Pacwa remains vulnerable to attacks by Karamojong cattle raiders who often hide in the mountains. People leave as early as 5 a.m. to collect water before going to their gardens, and they risk being ambushed,” he said.
The Ministry of Water and Environment, with funding from the Export-Import Bank of India, invested 5.9 billion shillings to construct a solar-powered rural water supply scheme in Omiya Pacwa Sub-county to address chronic water shortages. However, the Lamingonen water scheme failed after drilling operations encountered dry geological layers that could not support a sustainable water source.
Obita said several previous interventions by different development partners had also failed due to similar geological challenges. He called on the government and development partners to conduct further hydrogeological assessments and work closely with local communities to identify suitable locations for future water projects.
Aaron Osipira, an engineer with the Ministry of Water and Environment, said the ministry had advised district authorities not to commission the water scheme because it is unable to supply water to the community. “The scheme cannot be commissioned because the source failed due to dry geological layers,” Osipira said.
He added that a temporary 20-cubic-metre alternative water supply system has been provided as a stopgap measure while authorities search for a viable water source for the affected communities-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
