Residents in Kinyamawa Parish, Nyakagyeme Sub-county, Rukungiri District have protested and fiercely rejected a government plan to introduce paid water services in their community.
What was meant to be a development initiative by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has instead ignited public outrage, with locals insisting the proposed changes are both unnecessary and exploitative.
During a tense community meeting on Thursday, residents confronted Rukungiri District Water Officer Deus Twekwase, opposing the introduction of metered water, which would require them to pay for a resource they have accessed freely for over two decades.
The community relies on a gravity-fed water scheme established more than 20 years ago, initially implemented by the North Kigezi Diocese. The system, equipped with a storage tank and 11 taps, has reliably served villages such as Muraro, Kinyamawa, Nyakagyeme, and Bishasha. Locals argue that this free supply meets their needs and see no reason to replace it with a paid alternative.
Protesters who included local leaders and residents like Gerald Byamukama, Moses Benywanira, Ronald Nasasira, Samson Taremwa, Yoweri Nkwasibwe, Ruth Tumuhimbise, Amos Kamuhangire, area councilor Anthanius Atuheire, and gravity water chairperson Ndebe Augustine questioned the logic of introducing fees in a community already served by a functional water source, especially when many other areas in Rukungiri still lack access to clean water altogether.
They accused the government of using development projects as political bait. They expressed frustration that such initiatives often emerge around election time, only to vanish once votes are cast.
Residents warned that imposing water fees would drive poorer families to abandon taps altogether and return to unsafe sources like rivers and dams, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases.
CUE IN RESIDENTS……ON THE MATTER……..RR//
In response, Water Officer Deus Twekwase clarified that while the gravity scheme was implemented by the North Kigezi Diocese, the actual funding came from the Government of Uganda. He emphasized that the creation of NWSC and the Umbrella of Water and Sanitation aimed to ensure uniform access, quality control, and sustainable water management across the country.
CUE IN TWEKWASE……ON THE ISSUE……RR//
Twekwase acknowledged that while a fee would be introduced, it was necessary to improve service delivery and infrastructure maintenance. Still, his reassurances did little to calm the residents, who are now urging the Resident District Commissioner (RDC) to intervene and escalate their grievances to the President.
