{UAH} Luzira residents turn L. Victoria into toilet
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Luzira residents turn L. Victoria into toilet
Residents at Port Bell landing site in Luzira, a Kampala suburb, have resorted to defecating in Lake Victoria because of lack of toilet facilities in the area while others dig up temporary holes
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 24 2016
A man transports about 14 people on a boat in Port Bell.
By Leilah Nalubega
KAMPALA.
Residents at Port Bell landing site in Luzira, a Kampala suburb, have resorted to defecating in Lake Victoria because of lack of toilet facilities in the area while others dig up temporary holes to relieve themselves.
When our reporters visited the site, they were welcomed by the buzz of flies, stench of rotting fish, garbage and human waste.
The more than 200 residents at the lakeshore are mainly market vendors, restaurant and small kiosks owners. But some of the residents, who did want their names published, blamed the filth on fishermen.
The only easy-to-access public toilet in the area was demolished in October by the Uganda Electricity Transition Company contractors. The power transmission body plans to develop the area. The residents say this move left them with no option but to ease themselves in the lake and on lakeshore.
In a recent interview, the Nakawa Division Mayor, Mr Ronald Balimwezo, criticised the indecency which he said was frustrating their efforts to improve sanitation. "Everywhere you look, you see faeces; behind restaurants, and market stalls," he said.
Disagreement on where to construct a public toilet is what has bogged the residents in the current mess, according to Nakawa Division MP Michael Kabaziguruka.
Mr Kabaziguruka says every resident wants the toilet built on their plot so that they can control it and also levy user fees on colleagues.
Ms Naomi Karekaho, the spokesperson of the National Environment Management Authority (Nema), told Daily Monitor that the authority is not aware of residents turning the lake into an open toilet. She said it was the duty of the Ministry of Water and Environment to handle the mess.
"It brings diseases, it's very unhygienic and it is a threat to the public because it causes cholera, waterborne diseases and also the expenditure on the outbreak of such diseases plus the impact it has on the economy," Ms Karekaho said.
Yesterday, the Nakawa Division mayor and other area leaders launched a project to lay the ground for the construction of a public toilet but the residents still wonder if the toilet would be completed any time soon.
However, the KCCA environment manager, Mr Najib Lukooya, said shortage of toilets is a challenge which is not only in Luzira but also other parts of Kampala. He mentioned areas of Kisenyi and Bwaise.
He asserted that when people build they don't think about putting up toilet facilities and only leave the matter to the leaders yet it requires community engagement.
"Management of public toilets at community level is something that we are working on slowly with the local leaders, this can help us work with the landlords to create some space where we can place toilet facilities," said Mr Lukooya.
He added: "We are trying our best to address that and that is in our strategic plan until 2019."
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