By Andrew Irumba
Mbale: Residents and traders in Mbale town are crying foul and accusing municipality leaders of abandoning them to choke on sewage.
This is because most parts of Mbale town are riddled with burst sewers, overflowing sewage deposits and people in the town are always treated an endless rotten stench. Ambrose Shilimi, the Head Teacher Covenant nursery and primary school says that “During the rainy season, the sewerage spills and floods in part of the school compound.” He added that “The most affected places include covenant nursery and primary school along Kumi road, Livingstone International University and Bishop Wasike road. Other areas include the taxi and Bus Park, Manafwa road, Mugisu hill, Bugwere road and Nabuyonga rise among others.”
Rogers Nabende, a dealer in flower beds and trees along Kumi Road, said that the sewage spillage has affected his business. He says that the filth and pungent smell have chased away his customers. Aziz Omulangila and Tayel Magomu working at a washing bay along Bugwere road say the sewage mixes with the water they use for washing the cars and are at risk of contracting deadly diseases. However, Doreen Cathy Kapsleyu, the Public Relations Officer of NWSC Eastern Region blames the continuous spilling on the residents who construct houses on top of the sewerage system. Medics in the area are worried that locals might soon suffer a number of waterborne diseases because the sewage often ends up in public water sources like wells, springs, streams and rivers, yet people use water from these in their homes.
