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“Since I joined Gulu main market as an attendant, water shortages have been a problem, the council sometimes fails to pay water bills.”
By Okot Lil Romeo
Gulu, March 19, 2022: The Gulu main market vendors are stranded after the disconnection of water supply by the national water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC).
The decision was made after the Gulu city council failed to pay an accumulative bill of shs22m to the NWSC.
This has been a continuing problem to market vendors over many years, with water on and off. It brings water crises, losses to the vendors in the main market.
Ivan Tekakwo, spokesperson of NWSC Gulu branch confirmed the disconnection of water in Gulu’s main market. “There is an accumulative debt of 22 million over the year not paid that led to disconnection.”
Ivan added that they are waiting for the feedback from the council after their meeting to get solutions and agree on the payments.
He said that NWSC is facing shortages of water supply during this prolonged drought season which has made them produce half of the required capacity.
“The previous time we used to produce 10 million litres per day but now we are producing only 5 million litres per day,” he added.
Dorine Labwoo, a toilet cleaner and attendant at Gulu main market said the crisis has forced them to increase the fees for using the toilets to shs300 from shs200.
“Since I joined Gulu main market as an attendant, water shortages have been a problem, the council sometimes fails to pay water bills.”
Jacklin Auma, resident of Pece Lukung cell and a water supplier said they move for almost 2 kilometres to fetch water, buying at shs100 per jerrican and selling it to the market at shs500 per jerrican.
Auma added that during this period of the water crisis, she fetches 40-50 jerricans in a day, earning shs20,000 compared to the previous days at shs10,000-15000 in a day.
“We are facing chest pain due to heavy work, over a long distance movement to fetch water.”
Another vendor, Lillian Acan, also vice-chairperson of food vendors at Gulu main market said that in previous months she used to ‘boil 60 litres of tea but now only 10 litres’.
She was earning shs 200,000 each day, now she’s earning shs 50,000-80,000 in a day.
Acan added that workers are leaving their jobs due to heavy work as they are supposed to go and fetch water and also cook.
Jennifer Oroma Atuku, the chairperson of discipline and health, sells fresh fish. “NWSC should give back management of water into our hands to avoid mismanagement of water.”
She appealed to the council to pay the bill as soon as possible to rescue them from the losses they are meeting.
Meanwhile, Geoffrey Otim, Division mayor of Pece-Laroo, said the council is paying accumulative shs40m in bills of the last term of which they have reduced to shs18m.
“But due to local revenue not being sent back by the central government, the council is not doing the work like water bill, power and garbage collection.”
Otim, however, said that the city council needs shs2b from the central Government to be sent back.
He also appealed to the national water and sewerage corporation to have “heart and mercy on them” and to reconnect the water. “We are going to pay the bills when money comes.”
