By Elijah Khisa
Residents of Makerere III Parish in Kawempe Division are celebrating the renovation of their only community water source and the planned improvement of an access road following efforts by their area councillor, Kyobe Muhammad.
The residents have praised Kyobe for working with local leaders and a construction company to restore the water source, saying the intervention will help reduce their exposure to contaminated water, particularly during the rainy season.
The development came to light on October 21, 2026, during the commissioning of renovation works at the water source in Kiggundu Zone.
The works are being supported by Tecno 3 Construction Company Ltd, which is currently involved in the reconstruction of the Bombo-Gulu Highway near the Northern Bypass flyover in Bwaise.
Kyobe, the Makerere III Parish councillor, working alongside Kiggundu Zone LC1 Chairperson Paul Kibuuka, secured heavy-duty concrete water culverts and lobbied the construction company to provide earth-moving equipment to desilt the water source, replace the old, undersized culverts with larger ones and improve the community access road.
Residents said they had long faced the risk of consuming contaminated water, especially during heavy rains when flash floods from Makerere University hill flow into the spring.
During a visit to the site, dozens of children were seen carrying small jerrycans to collect water from the source, whose outlet was submerged in visibly dirty, brown water.
Sarah Nakanwagi, a resident, thanked Kyobe and the village chairperson for intervening, describing the renovation as a timely response to the community’s longstanding challenge.
However, she called on the division authorities to establish a modern water supply system in the parish, saying children in the area frequently seek treatment at Kawaala Health Centre III and Mulago National Referral Hospital for illnesses associated with unsafe water.
Residents also urged Kampala Capital City Authority (KCCA) to prioritise access to clean and safe water, saying a reliable piped-water system would help protect the community from waterborne diseases.
Apart from the water challenge, residents have also struggled to access their homes because of the poor condition of the road running from Twin Tower Hotel, opposite Kolping Hotel in Bwaise, into the interior of Kiggundu Zone, behind Christian Life Church associated with Pastor Senyonga.
The road has reportedly become difficult to use during rainy weather because of flooding.
Residents expressed optimism that the ongoing repairs would improve accessibility and ease their daily movement, while renewing their appeal for sustainable solutions to the area’s water and road infrastructure challenges.
