Legislators on the Parliamentary Forum on Water and Sanitation have commended local governments for prioritizing access to safe drinking water.

According to a recent report, 51% of Ugandans are satisfied with their local governments' performance in allocating funds for clean water.

The report, conducted by civil society organizations in partnership with Twaweza, reveals that 48% of citizens have seen an improvement in their access to clean drinking water.

Additionally, 51% of Ugandans are satisfied with their local governments' performance in providing water services.

However, the report also highlights several challenges. In rural areas, 2 out of 10 households still access drinking water from unsafe sources. Furthermore, only 51% of Ugandans have a local water management committee or board in their communities.

"We need to increase the government budget for water and sanitation," said a legislator on the Parliamentary Forum. "The report is worrying, and we must take action to address these challenges."

The report also reveals that 75% of Ugandan households use pit latrines with slabs as their toilet facilities. However, fewer than half of households have access to functional hand-washing facilities close to their latrines.

Despite these challenges, there are efforts underway to improve water and sanitation in Uganda.

For example, the Kampala Capital City Authority has launched the Weyonje campaign, which aims to promote inclusive sanitation and hygiene awareness in communities across Kampala.

"It takes a village to fix the sanitation problem," said Christine Kaaya, Shadow Minister for Water and Environment. "We need to work together to educate people on the importance of good sanitation and hygiene practices."

Overall, while Uganda has made progress in improving access to safe drinking water, there is still much work to be done to address the challenges facing the country's water and sanitation sector.