Govt commissions Shs2.3b sanitation facility in northern Uganda’s refugee settlement

The government has commissioned a Shs2.3 billion sanitation facility that will offer sanitation and hygiene boost to a total population of 276,792 people in Madi-Okollo and Terego districts.
                                                                                                                                             
Rhino Camp faecal sludge treatment facility, commissioned on Tuesday, will serve people living within Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement and the neighbouring sub-counties of Uriama, Rigbo, Rhino Camp Town Council and Omugo.
 
This unique sanitation facility was constructed by the Ministry of Water through its Water and Sanitation Development Facility-North (WSDF-N) under phase IV of KfW-funded “support to water supply and sanitation in refugee hosting communities in northern Uganda project.”
 
Mr Yusuf Lule, deputy branch manager of WSDF-N, said the facility was built to ensure proper disposal of waste within the refugee settlement and the host communities.
 
“A huge numbers of people are in refugee settlement camps [across the country] but the latrines they built are so temporary. As a result, within just less than a year, you find somebody having to excavate more than thrice to get places where to deposit the sludge or feces,” he said.
 
He noted this improper disposal of sludge does not only stop at reducing the land in these settlements but it also may lead to the outbreak of cholera and many other diseases.
 
“So, to avoid all these catastrophes, the ministry came up with this intervention to see how we can properly dispose of this faecal sludge and ensure that at least we have a proper disposal method to avoid the danger which may result from improper disposal of the waste,” Eng Lule added.
 

 
Mr Wilfred Saka, the LC5 chairman of Terego District, thanked the government and development partner for the intervention.
 
“Before the intervention, some boys had formed an association and had been emptying latrines locally. Before they do this they must drink themselves silly and if you look at them all have swollen cheeks because of drinking too much alcohol to clear the bad smell of feces,” Mr Saka said.
 
Mr Fred Othieno, KfW senior portfolio coordinator – water, sanitation and refugees, thanked the Ministry of Water for putting to good use funds the Ugandan government receives from the Federal Republic of German through KfW to design and implement projects in various sectors, including the water sector.
 
 
He said the cooperation between KfW and Ministry of Water has been very “trustful, open, and we discuss things and agree which has enabled various projects to go on time.”
 
“I want to say that it’s a good thing for development cooperation that can receive funds and put the funds to good use, and this is the Ministry of Water,” Mr Othieno said.
                                                                                               
Since 2012, the German Development Cooperation has been supporting the Water and Sanitation Development Facility -North and East in the development of small town water supply and sanitation systems.