KOLE, November 30, 2025 — The Government has rehabilitated Leye Dam in Ayer Subcounty, Kole district, following a deadly weed infestation that destroyed all the fish previously reared there.
The dam, constructed in 2009 at a cost of Shs 4.7 billion, had been overrun by aquatic weeds. However, the Ministry of Water and Environment [MWE], through its Water for Production Department, procured M/S African Egyptian Engineering Services and Construction Ltd., to restore the facility at a contract sum of Shs 720 million.
The project was officially commissioned on Wednesday, 26 November, by the Kole Resident District Commissioner, Gilian Akullo.
Leye Dam was originally designed to provide water for livestock and aquaculture for six villages: Leye, Adit, Abolo Nyero, Apala, Atwol and Okar.
Engineer Ronald Kato, Assistant Commissioner for Water for Production at MWE, said the dam is among several government investments that became dysfunctional after invasive weeds took over around 2016.
“We suspect the weeds were introduced by people who brought infested plants from other water bodies using small boats,” he said.
Kato noted that because the facility is one of the most expensive dams ever constructed by the Government, rehabilitation was unavoidable.
“So we had to do our best to restore it. The ministry is also going to ensure that small irrigation projects are undertaken by communities around the water body,” he added.
He said the ministry would also encourage local residents to engage in apiary and other enterprises such as duck rearing, noting that ducks feed on the weeds and can support biological control efforts.
Kato further revealed that the ministry, together with community members and district leaders, had agreed to develop a management plan that includes watershed protection through tree planting.
In 2015, investor Morris Eddy Ogweng introduced cage-fish farming at Leye Dam, transforming it into one of the major fish-production sites in Northern Uganda. The project was later recognised as one of the best in the region after producing at least five tonnes of fish annually, much of it exported to Kenya.
However, in 2016, the dam was overtaken by the invasive species Salvinia molesta and Glyceria fluitans, which depleted oxygen levels in the water, caused mass fish deaths, and led to the collapse of aquaculture activities.
In 2021, the MWE procured African Egyptian Engineering Services & Constructions Ltd to remove the weeds and restore the dam.
Kole District LC5 Chairperson, Andrew Moses Awany, urged the ministry to fully utilise the rehabilitated dam as a centre where farmers can learn modern agricultural practices.
“As a country we have long relied on rain-fed agriculture. We keep crying about unemployment and low revenue, yet we fail to plan properly. If we tapped into opportunities like this dam, the country would grow faster,” he said.
Awany, referring to training he received in Malaysia, observed that many developing nations fail because they attempt to invest everywhere instead of concentrating resources where they can yield immediate impact.
“Just this dam alone can generate income to support a population of more than 20,000 people, create jobs and improve livelihoods,” he added.
He also noted that five dams in the Lango sub-region are currently redundant and urged the Government to allocate funds for irrigation systems.
Jimmy Okello, Chairperson of Leye village, said the community has not benefited from the dam since it was constructed.
“Government promised irrigation, but up to now nothing has been done,” he said.
Okello also expressed concern about rising cases of suicide at the dam.
“Five people have so far died. When a husband or wife gets annoyed, they come and jump into the water. Government must not leave this water unattended; it should be put to proper use,” he said.
Okello Ayer Joe, Chairperson of the Water User Committee, recalled that before the weed infestation the community enjoyed abundant fish stocks. But after the weeds covered the dam for three years, all the fish died.
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