The installation of 600 rain water harvesting tanks has brought relief to over 100,000 people in water stressed areas around Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve in Hoima and Kikuube Districts.
Raymond Kato the Senior Warden for Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve says that the project which started in 2021, is funded by world Bank through the IFPAC (Investing in Forest and Protected Areas for Climate Smart Development Project).
It is being implemented will communities around the conservation areas where local people will be given water harvesting tanks in Kabale and Buseruka in Hoima District and Kabwoya and Kyangwali in Kikuube district.
According to Kato, the project is premised on ending Human-wildlife conflicts between the communities and the game reserve through promotion of co-existence.
‘‘The project started in 2021 and its ending in June this year. The major aim was to end conflicts between humans and wildlife because people were fetching water in parts of the reserve and the lake and could end up being attacked by crocodiles. Others could go to the reserve to fetch water and go with trap wires to poach animals. The installation of these tanks is to curb down these conflicts’’ Kato says.
He says that 600 water tanks of 5000 Litre and 10,000 Litre capacities have been given to vulnerable households and institutions including health centers, police and churches at a free cost.
‘‘About 800 million shillings has been used in this phase to install these tanks. We have considered local community members, schools, health centers, churches and Uganda police. We believe that these initiatives and other engagements like supporting beekeeping projects, formation of resource users’ associations will help us curb down human-wildlife conflicts’’ Kato says.
He added “in the same vein, IFPA -CD has helped in the formulation and implementation of five resource access agreements. Communities are allowed on a regulated basis to pick firewood for domestic use from the park, pick grass for thatching their houses, pick medicinal herbs for varias ailments and then black soil for smearing their houses. IFPA -CD has also supported to build staff accommodation for kabwoya wildlife reserve where by twenty junior staff rooms have been built and one house for the senior warden in charge”.
Santo Oyer a resident fisherman at Kyehoro landing site says that he got relieved after the tank was installed on his house. He says fetching water from the Lake is like a death sentence because of crocodiles which attack children and women.
‘‘Access to safe and clean water at the lake has been a problem for years. We have lost people to crocodile attacks when they are fetching water. We need more tanks because the population is growing at a high rate’’ Oyer says.
Mr Asaba Rodgers a resident of Kaiso, Mbegu Parish in Kabale sub county says the singe tank he received is helping eight households to access clean water.
‘‘We are now spending two months without going to fetch water because we harvest rain water. We share with our eight neighbors. Getting drinking water along the lakeshores is a real problem here. We pray that the project be expanded to other communities’’ Asaba says
Mr Kumakech Demaya Geofrey the Kaiso B-LC1, Kabale sub county says that the who village of over 3000 inhabitants who are engaged in fishing activities is served by one borehole. This according to Demaya forces people to fetch the unsafe lake water.
‘‘The installation of tanks has helped many people but they are not enough. We need more because we are many. The whole fishing village depended on one borehole’’ Demaya says.
Richard Kugonza the in charge of Kikuube Heath Center Four in Kikuube District says the health facility which has been grappling with access to water, got six tanks which have been installed in strategic places like maternity ward, laboratory, theater, out and in patients wards.
He says that the health center which serves a catchment area of over 20,000 people with over 150 daily in and out patient visits, the installation of the water tanks has brought a huge relief.
‘‘The water tanks have come at a right time because our only water supply was faulty and we had a water crisis. We serve a bigger population and our operations need water for proper sanitation and other key activities in the theater, laboratory and maternity ward. We appreciate Uganda Wildlife Authority for considering our health facility’’ Kugonza says.
The Head Teacher Kikuube Union Vision Secondary School in Kikuube District, Mr. Mbabazi Christopher says the installation of the seven tanks has saved the 500 students and community members who have been scrambling for access to water from a single community borehole. He says poor access to water is to blame for poor academic performance.
‘‘Our students have been spending three hours lining up for water at the borehole and this had resulted into late coming, wastage of time and poor performance. We used to get reports of conflicts between students and community because of water. We are now safe because we are harvesting water here’’ Mbabazi says.
Tibangaina Thereza a 76-year-old resident of Nyakabale village, Kabwoya Sub County was given a tank which she says has saved her from buying water per day. She adds that she used to walk over 5 Kilometers to fetch water from a community pond where water is also shared with animals.
‘‘As an old woman, I had reached the extent of failing to buy a jerry can of water at Shs 500 per day. I no longer have energy to walk and fetch from our community pond. The water there is not safe because we share it with animals. She is happy that with the tank installed her own house, water access is easy’’Tibaingana says.
Moses Mugume a member of the Kwonga forest community which has protected a natural forest helping for fire wood collection and protection of the ecosystem services says he also got a water tank.The whole Kwonga community received 13 water tanks.
Hillary Tumusiime the Secretary for Health and Social Services says Hoima district will continue to work with UWA to support communicate initiatives.
According to Hoima District water report, safe water coverage increased from 74.29% in 2024 to 75.07% in 2025.
The District Police Commander-Kikuube Kyoto Barugahara commends UWA for the initiative which has saved police officers and their families for costs of water.
The Kabwoya Wildlife Reserve stretches down to Lake Albert and Albertine rift valley a escarpment. It has the biggest density of Uganda kobs in the whole country and it has helped in restocking other national parks and reserves with Uganda kobs.
