NYANZA – Residents of Kigoma Sector in Nyanza district have raised concern over the lack of water, a result of the dry spell in the area. Residents have to walk over 2 kilometres to access water whose quality is also found wanting.

"Due to geographic nature of this region, there are not enough sources of water .We usually get water from rivers during the rainy season which unfortunately dry up with the dry season,” said Theogene Benimana, a resident of the sector.

"Sometimes we fail to prepare food because of lack of water, one has to wake up as early as 3 am to be able to get water whose quality is also suspect,” added Vestige Mukagatare, a health volunteer in the sector.

The water scarcity in the area has had negative consequences on domestic animals like cattle and has exacerbated truancy in schools because students take long hours searching for water.

"In this period, students arrive at school very late and some decide not to attend classes at all because of the lack of water,” said Emmanuel Nkurunziza, the director of Muinja Primary School.

According Jean Claude Nkejimana, the deputy director of Gahombo Health Centre, 45% of the diseases reported at the health centre are as a result of poor hygiene caused by the consumption of unclean water.

"Water shortage is seen as the main cause of the increasing waterborne diseases in this area,” he noted.

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