Residents of Livingstone Hall Uganda’s Makerere University on Wednesday protested a water crisis that has hit their residence for close to a fortnight.
“There has been quite a number of challenges in the hall, scarcity of water being one of them. The administration has been giving us stories, partly claiming the water pipes broke,” said Mr Titus Mungoma, chairman of Livingstone hall.
According to him, the situation has put the students’ health at risk, given that there’s no water to flash toilets, bathe or wash clothes.
“Since we have no water within blocks, it means flashing these toilets is impossible. With showering, one may get some from the reservoirs or outside but with toilets, there’s no way,” he said.
Mr Kabuulwa Muzafaluh, a third-year student of journalism and resident of the hall said they have been surviving on two reservoirs.
“There are two reservoirs but the long queues and commotion there are unbearable. You imagine a hall accommodating over 300 students with only two water tanks. Sometimes we’re forced to attend lectures with smelly bodies after failing to get bathing water,” he said.
The students marched through the university banging saucepans and jerrycans up to the office of the university secretary who reportedly said he had not been alerted about the water crisis but promised to have it sorted in two days.
Africa Hall, a girls’ residence near Livingstone is also said to be faced with a similar crisis.
When contacted, the university secretary, Mr Yusuf Kiranda said the issue had been sorted following a meeting with student’s representatives, the dean of students and the director of estates.
