Mukono — \"With the powers vested in me, I commission the solar water pump to serve the community of Kapeke Village and its neighbourhoods," declared Minister Aisha Sekindi during a recent event in Mukono District.
The minister was commissioning of a Shs2.2 billion solar water pump that has remained nonfunctional since its inauguration on October 24.
The solar panels have failed to generate enough power to pump water into tanks, depriving the community of access to clean water.
This project was intended to serve over 20,000 residents across four villages--Kapeke, Kasenge, Kiwugo, Nangwa, and parts of Mbalala trading centre--but has instead become an idle facility, with reports of missing solar panels.
Residents are frustrated with the minister for endorsing a project that is already defunct. They questioned how a full minister could overlook such an issue.
"We only received a small amount of water the day the minister commissioned the project, and within hours of her departure, the water was gone," the residents lamented.
Community members were also upset about being prevented from voicing their opinions during the gathering, as they were not given the opportunity to speak.
Geofrey Nkumbi, chairperson of Kapeke Village, revealed that the solar water pump, initially constructed in 2020, was first commissioned by President Museveni during the election period.
Since then, it has remained inactive, primarily benefiting a school owned by a relative of a former Minister of State for Water.
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Kilabire Badiru, the speaker for Nama Sub-county, stated that residents have been without reliable access to water for the past four years, forcing them to trek long distances to collect unclean water from swamps.
Nekemeah Sali, the defense secretary of Kapeke Village, shared his frustrations about the broken system, mentioning that he gave up on connecting to it after seeing rust on his taps and meters due to a lack of water.
He now relies on the only borehole in the community, which is not sustainable.
Christopher Sekyanzi, the youth chairperson of Kapeke Village, urged the government to intervene swiftly so that the community can benefit from the project funded by taxpayers.
"I want the Ministry of Water to act quickly so that all of us can benefit from the project that cost 2.2 billion shillings," Sekyanzi stated.
Minister Sekindi acknowledged the issues with the weak solar system, which has been unable to generate sufficient power.
She committed to replacing it with hydro power and assured the community that the Ministry of Water would take direct control of the situation.
Ms. Sekindi also directed the disconnection of Pearl Junior School from the water source to ensure the community can benefit.
Additionally, she advised residents to conserve the limited water they receive while the ministry works on a solution within three months.
