Kitgum Municipality Reviews Sanitation Progress, Calls for Stronger Environmental Management

26 August 2026, 6:27 pm

By Otim Moses

Kitgum Municipal Council has held its annual sanitation reflection session to assess progress, achievements and challenges in sanitation management and environmental protection within the municipality.

The meeting, held on Tuesday, August 25, 2026, at the Council Boardroom, brought together municipal leaders, technical staff, Water For People, sanitation service providers and officials from the National Water and Sewerage Corporation.

Speaking during the meeting, Kitgum Municipal Town Clerk, Mr. Akuma Muzamil, commended Water For People for supporting efforts to improve sanitation in the municipality. He said bringing key stakeholders together is important in identifying challenges and finding practical solutions.

Water For People Program Manager, Mr. David Kakwere, said the organization is working with the municipality to strengthen partnerships and improve sustainable sanitation services. He said the annual reflection will help stakeholders identify remaining gaps and develop solutions within the project period.

Water For People Senior Program Officer, Mr. Geoffrey David Nyeko, reported that the project has so far supported the construction of 73 new sanitation stances and upgrading of 21 others. He said 98 percent of girls’ school sanitation facilities have been completed.

The project has also trained sanitation service providers, including masons, pit emptiers, sewage service providers and lagoon operators. Three liquid soap-making groups, one in each municipal division, have also been trained and are now supplying soap to communities.

The municipality has additionally established a sanitation task force to coordinate sanitation activities.

Municipal Health Inspector Ms. Rhina Kareo said the Council has developed sanitation by-laws which have been approved by the Council and are awaiting further approval from the Attorney General.

She said the Council has also recruited health staff and provided transport to support sanitation monitoring and supervision. Public toilets have been constructed at Labuge, Lulojo and Ojuma markets, while sanitation facilities were also constructed at Kitgum Girls Primary School Blind Annex.

She added that the municipality had already been implementing the Keep Kitgum Clean campaign before the government introduced the national cleaning days.

However, Ms. Kareo identified inadequate funding, delays in approving sanitation by-laws and intermittent supply of safe water as some of the major challenges affecting sanitation management in the municipality.

Meanwhile, NWSC Kitgum Branch Manager, Ms. Abonyo Caroline, said the corporation made 161 new connections in the last financial year and is targeting 183 connections in the current financial year.

She said increasing demand for water services may require additional production capacity alongside the existing facility in Mucwini.

Kitgum Municipal Mayor, Hon. Okwera Richard Ojara, commended the technical teams, sanitation service providers and development partners for their contribution towards improving sanitation.

He urged sanitation service providers to strengthen their marketing strategies and improve the quality of their products and services.

The Mayor also appealed to Water For People to explore possibilities of renewing its contract in Kitgum, saying continued support would help sustain and expand sanitation improvements in the municipality.

He called on Water For People, NWSC and other development partners to join the municipality in the national cleaning exercise scheduled for Saturday, August 29, 2026.

The reflection meeting highlighted the need for continued collaboration among local authorities, communities, private sanitation providers and development partners to improve sanitation, protect the environment and ensure a cleaner and healthier Kitgum Municipality