Kampala — KITGUM district chairman John Komakech Ogwok has directed all homes to have pit-latrines before the year ends.

He said the private and public places should have latrines by the end of December.

He added that the November 30 deadline would apply to all the elected leaders from LC1 to the district leaders.

Ogwok said the directive came after he visited Mucwini, one of the sub-counties worst hit by the hepatitis E virus in the district.

"I was in Mucwini and chose five leaders to inspect homes if they have functional latrines, but to my disappointment, only one out of the five had a latrine. The rest had nothing.

"Many locals are using bushes to ease themselves causing a lot of sanitation-related diseases." Ogwok added.

He said the district's target is to raise the latrine coverage from the current 33% to about 70% before the year ends.

He warned family heads against trying to defy his directive, saying they would be arrested and prosecuted in the courts of law.