Despite the government’s role in availing pure water to the wider population of the country, some areas of the country especially rural citizens are still struggling to access to pure water nearby them.
Kamonyi district is among the districts that still have the case especially in Kayenzi sector.
Seraphine Mukandamage, a 50 years, mother of five is a citizen in Nyamirama cell, Kayenzi sector, Kamonyi district who says that access to water is a big problem in the area especially in the commercial center.
She mentioned that only few people who live down-hills can access to water full time but the rest of citizens are hardly getting water.
“We need water, if you can look at that hill of Cubi and Marenga there is no water,” she says.
However, citizens say that they are hopefully waiting a solution from the water canals which are under construction.
“But the hope we have is that there are some water canals under construction but these also stopped at Nyamirama sector. The canals did not reach Gitwa cell where the problem has grown to the higher level,” said Mukandamage.
She said that it takes her two hours to get to the water source from Kibuye village where she lives. The little child who they stay with always struggles to fetch water early morning before going to school.
“I wake him up early 4 am and send him to bring water which I use to prepare food for him when coming from school. It is a big challenge we still have to send such a little child at that time because most of the times he delays to attend his lessons,” noted Mukandamage.
Impact on hygiene and sanitation
“Do you know what? I cannot spoil the water used to clean sweet potatoes; I use it to feed a cow. So, you can understand that we still also have poor hygiene and sanitation due to lack of water,” she noted.
She asks the officials responsible for water availability and accessibility to respond to that problem of water scarcity to secure their lives.
“I tell you the truth that I keep re-using the same water used to clean meals and clothes, we know that water is life but we do not have any other solution,” she mentioned.
Jean Baptiste Ndayisaba, also a citizen of Kayenzi sector in Bugarama cell is also facing the challenge of lacking water in his daily work of butchery.
He says that it will be a great response for the citizens when they get water that they expect form water canals under construction.
“One jerrycan from transporters cost us 100 or Rwf 150 when it reaches here at the center,” Ndayisaba noted, adding that sometimes they use stained water which is not healthy.
The citizens say that water scarcity is also the major problem among citizens living in village models.
According to Kayenzi sector’s acting Executive Secretary David Mfitumukiza, this problem was quite a big burden so far especially in the center of commerce near the offices of the sector.
He noted that people from down-hills can access water from sources of valleys.
“We used to serve citizens water from the sectors’ tanks which we keep from the rain water.
The water canal which is still under construction is expected to be a solution of water scarcity in three sectors of Kamonyi district which are Kayenzi, Karama and Musambira.
The last evaluation by the southern province marked seventy-five percent of water accessibility in the sector according to Mfitumukiza and the goal is to avail water to the rest of citizens in this sector as this year ends.
By Elias Hakizimana
