As finalists prepare to go back to school amid COVID-19 effects, the acting director water development in the Ministry of Water and Environment, Engineer Joseph Oriono Eyatu has revealed that they need about Shs100billion to repair water sources.
He made the remarks during the International e-Conference on water, sanitation and Hygiene held in Kampala.
Ministry of Water and Environment said inadequate funding has frustrated their activities.
The conference is held under the theme: “Advancing the Role Of water, sanitation And Hygiene during and after the COVID-19 Pandemic”
Engineer Joseph Oriono Eyatu noted that with close to 60,000 boreholes across the country, about 12,000 are not functional.
He however said the ministry will partner with the local government councils to address the matter.
“As a sector the directive we gave to the local government is to repair the sources that exist and this has gone very well and a lot of resources have been diverted to make sure that we repair these sources,” he said.
Speaker of parliament, Rt Hon Rebecca Kadaga tasked the ministry to put into consideration the cost of delivering water to the public.
She expressed concern about water pipes left redundant along roads like in Mbulamuti and Kamuli among other areas that don’t deliver water to people who need it most, yet tax payer’s money is spent on the same.