Masindi Municipality residents demand safe water
MASINDI, February 20, 2025 – Residents of Masindi Municipality in Masindi district have expressed their concerns to the State Minister for Youth and Children Affairs, Balaam Barugahara, regarding the lack of safe water in most of the cells within Nyanghya Division.
“We are demanding piped water. We are currently relying on unsafe water from unprotected water points. Many areas in Masindi Municipality have piped water, but for us, it remains a distant dream. I am now 60 years old, and I have never seen any plans to provide us with piped water. Sometimes our wells dry up, especially during the dry season, and when they run dry, we suffer. We live in the municipality, yet it feels as though we are in a rural setup,” explained James Magezi, the Chairperson of LCI Rwijeere Cell.
Magezi added that they have land available where a reservoir tank could be placed, which would enable them to have a stable water supply.
He also pointed out that even schools in his area lack access to safe water, which he said puts the lives of students at risk. “There are preventable diseases we wouldn’t be contracting, but due to the lack of safe water, we are suffering from them,” Magezi said.
Municipal authorities explained that current policy does not allow the excavation of boreholes within the municipality, adding that only piped water is permitted, which is beyond their control.
Electricity issues
Regarding electricity, the residents of Masindi Municipality noted that they were considered under the rural electrification programme, but the power they receive is too weak to be used for its intended purposes.
“The power we currently have is insufficient to support anything that requires electricity. We can’t even start small businesses because of the lack of power. Our plea is that we get connected to the high-voltage grid so that we can live like those in the municipality,” said James Mugisa, a resident of Rwensa Cell. He added that the lack of stable power has also contributed to insecurity in the area.
Minister Barugahara is currently touring Nyanghya Division, which has 25 cells, to assess whether residents are benefiting from various government programmes, particularly the Parish Development Model [PDM], the Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme [UWEP], and the Youth Livelihood Programme [YLP], among others.
Local leaders have also expressed concerns over increasing land grabbing in the area, noting that even government and public land have not been spared. “Even our parish land has been grabbed with impunity by someone who has set up a church on it,” said Kaija.
On his part, Judith Byaruhanga, the LCIII Chairperson for Nyanghya Division, explained that land grabbers often arrive with pre-made titles, claiming ownership of land where families have lived for generations. She added that even the land where the division headquarters is situated had not been spared.
Authorities in Masindi are also struggling to recover over 100 acres of land that has reportedly been seized by an investor who is not traceable.
Local leaders had proposed establishing Bunyoro University on the same piece of land, but when a search was conducted, it was discovered that someone had covertly obtained a land title. They are now unable to proceed until the situation is resolved.
Minister’s response
On the issue of the lack of safe water, Barugahara promised to engage with the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, and the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to address the residents’ concerns.
Regarding land grabbing, he stated, “Land grabbers targeting land in Masindi Municipality should cease immediately because they have no place here. I am going to work with the Minister of Lands to ensure that those who have lost their land to grabbers receive justice. I will also engage the Chief Justice to take action against judicial officers in Masindi who are aiding land grabbing.”
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