Kampala — A TOTAL of 16 shallow wells and seven public toilets have been constructed and handed over to residents of Kabubbu parish, Wakiso district, by the Japanese government.

The sanitation facilities were constructed by a Japanese-funded NGO, Hunger Free World Uganda. The Japanese deputy ambassador, Kazuaki Kameda, handed over the facilities to the community at Sir Apollo Kaggwa Memorial Primary School in Gayaza on Monday.

Kameda thanked the community for their support during the construction. "I am pleased and satisfied with the state of the facilities," Kameda said.

He said Japan was committed to securing clean water and sanitation for the people of Uganda.

"Japan as a key player of development has been working hard for African countries to achieve sustainable access to safe drinking water by the year 2015," he said.

However, he warned the community against reckless use of the facilities, adding that the Japanese government would not repair damages resulting from negligence.

The country director of Hunger Free World, Fred Batte, said the organisation had trained 62 residents to manage the facilities, to ensure sustainability of the project. "We have also distributed 500 manuals to sensitise the community about how to maintain these facilities," Batte added.

He appealed to the community to pay a maintenance fee for the toilets and wells.