More than 6000 residents of Kitega Uchumi Ward in the outskirts of Urambo district down town, will no longer face water woes, after a water kiosk donated to them by a tobacco buying company.

Happy faces, ululation and untold jubilation welcomed the brief hand over function, which was officiated by the District Commissioner Elibariki Bajuta.

“I believe that, from now onwards you will no longer be trekking long distances in the wee early hours of day, in search of safe and drinking water as you are now completely sorted once and for all,” said Bajuta, a former Assistant Commissioner for Conservations.

The kiosk comprising the bore hole and its relevant building costing a total of 34m/-, will serve more than 671 households, which were water barren for many years.  

He warned village leaders not to sell water from the kiosk, saying the freely donated generosity should be freely accessible to all villagers without any form of discrimination.

David Mayunga, Director for Production of a tobacco firm, the financier of the project, said the donation was in line with the company’s corporate social responsibility programme, which covers health, education and environment.

“Before undertaking this project, we did a bit of hydrological research here and discovered that the need for water surpassed more other needs for these people here,” he said.

He said the company’s assistance package included drilling of a water bore hole with a 150-meter depth, construction of a water tank tower as well as laying down a distribution network into some streets of the community,” he said.  

On his part, Manager of Urambo district water and environment, Petro Kisasi said water availability and connectivity in the district currently stood at 24.5 per cent, with the major sources being seven water wells located in different places in the district.

He said small water wells were also available, greatly contributing to the water supply network.

“In total, these seven wells have the combined capacity to produce at 388 cubic meters per day, while the total water requirement is around 3600 cubic meters per day’” he said.

Chairman of Kitega Uchumi village, Fredrick Alloyce said initially the ward depended on water from shallow wells, whose water is not safe and they are always seasonal, running out of water in dry seasons, hence they used to walk long distances in search for water.

Meanwhile, Urambo DC has directed all tobacco buyers in the district to pay farmers their dues in not less than two weeks after buying their tobacco as well as avoiding the use of child labour in their tobacco farms.