MUGUSU GRAVITY FLOW SCHEME KICKS-off AGAIN

Stakeholders from Mugusu sub county who included among others the chairperson LC111, Speaker to council, sub county chief, community development officer, District water officer and Rweco members(IWDP and RIC-NET) on 3rd June 2010 organized a joint monitoring visit to the source of Mugusu gravity flow scheme.

The purpose of this visit was to establish how far the work had reached, the size of the source, the quality of the water, the workmanship at the source and quality of the pipes bee used as the scheme kicks-off again.

This scheme was started in 2008 but was not completed due to delay in release of funds by UNICEF for the pipes and the rest of the hard ware.
During the visit to source the stakeholders observed the following:
1. The source was already blocked by sand, thus a need to overhaul it
2. One the pipe at the source was not bring in water.
3. Pipes in the hilly places were left on the open thus exposing them to landslides.
4. The Cementatation tank near the source was already leaking and needed support.
5. Connectors at the source needed repair.
6. The source attendant was not facilitated to over see the source.
7. Community members who were involved in the digging of the trench for the laying of the pipes still demand their payment.
8. Communities were not sensitized on hygiene and means of maintaining of the gravity flow scheme.

The team thus recommended the following:
1. Train two scheme attendants already identified and the sub county should allocate funds to facilitate these people.
2. Cementatation tank should be repaired since it was leaking.
3. The contractor should be advised to make payment for those who laid the pipes.
4. District engineer should make an assessment of how many tap stands that can be on this scheme before illegal connectors start connecting their homes.
5. Sub county leaders should sensitize the community on hygiene and maintenance of the scheme.
By Timothy Balikenga

Kisangi primarily school in Bugaaki sub county Kyenjojo district finally gets a new latrine constructed.

“It has not been easy but finally we are there” these were the words of the chairperson school management committee for Kisangi primarily school during a dialogue meeting organized by IWDP in collaboration with RIC-NET to discuss the issues surrounding the construction of the pit latrine by BAKa contractors at the school and which was later demolished on the recommendations of the district engineer due to complaints from the monitors and School management committee Members (SMCs) that the workmanship and the materials were shoddy.

On 18th/05/2010 the community based monitors of Bugaki Sub County Kyenjojo District together with the school management observed that a pit latrine under construction at this primary was being constructed not according to the required standards.
The community based monitors and SMCs observed the following:
 Half baked and already used bricks from dismantled building were being used.
 Rotten pieces of wood planks were used in the construction of the slub.
 Small size iron bars were also being used.
 The contractor had stared constructing the wall just two days after finishing the slub without giving it time to settle.
 Half and quarter bricks were given the first priority in the construction of the walls.
 The name of the contractor was not established because on 24th /05/2010 he wrote in the visitor’s book of the school as KA’GO construction and 26th/05/2010 the names changed to BAKA.
The above reasons forced the community based monitors together with school management to write to the chief executive officer Kyenjojo seeking for assistance from the technical staff of the district.

However on 25th /05/2010 the Assistant District Engineer by the names of Kyomuhendo Edson visited the school and made the following comments:
 The workmanship is good
 Good quality materials on the site.
 The contractor should progress with the work.

The above comments of the Assistant District Engineer did not make the community based monitors together with the school management members pleased; they thus called for more technical advice from other stakeholders.

On 26th /05/2010 the District speaker who is at the same time the area councilor together with the District Engineer among others visited the site. On seeing the work that was being done by the contractor, they recommended that a pit latrine be demolished and a new one be excavated and back filling of the old one be done.

The above issues prompted IWDP and RIC-NET to organize stakeholders meeting at the school. During the dialogue meeting the head teacher of the school and chairperson school management committee reported that they had no information about the construction of the pit latrine at the school but he only saw a lorry bringing the materials.
Recommendations from the stakeholder dialogue
 District should always send information concerning the projects to be implemented to the target beneficiaries for easy monitoring and ownership.
 SMCs and citizens should always take their roles serious and ensure that contractors do not start the work before they show to them documents concerning the work to be done.
 Parents of Kisangi should organize themselves and back fill the two pit latrines that collapsed three years back at the school.
More in the newsletter for the quarter
By Timothy Balikenga-focal person