Gloria

In the ongoing presentation of the scorecard on the implementation of the NRM Manifesto, different government Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) have cited financial hurdles as the biggest challenge in implementing their plans.

This was the outcry as senior officials from the Ministry of Water and Environment presented their achievements and challenges regarding implementing the NRM Manifesto (2021-26). 

A report by the Ministry of Water and Environment indicates that 30% (14,220,000 people) of the rural population in Uganda don’t have access to clean and safe water.

Ministry officials noted that poor operation and maintenance of facilities by community members and law enforcement are also setbacks to programme implementation, besides lack of funds. In urban areas, technical teams find difficulty in acquiring land from landlords.

Assistant Commissioner, Ministry of Water and Environment (in charge of Policy and Planning), Ocwere Denis underscored the need to invest more in water and sanitation and involve the communities to play their responsibilities in development initiatives.

According to the ministry 70, 512 villages in Uganda can access at least one safe water source. The Ministry of Water and Environment is responsible for water supply and sanitation in rural areas and small towns, large water supply and sanitation, water resource management, natural resources management and water for production.

The NRM Manifesto Week comes at a time the country is experiencing heavy floods. The Katonga bridge was washed away by flash floods from the Katonga River, cutting off the Kampala–Masaka highway at the bridge.

The manifesto week allows MDAs to take stock of where they are, and what they need to do to fast-track implementation, explain and share the collaborations required in manifesto implementation.