Over 10 million Ugandans have no access to basic sanitation - CSOs

Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have sounded the alarm on Uganda's persistent struggles with providing clean water and basic sanitation to its citizens.

Speaking at the 14th annual CSOs Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) forum on Wednesday, experts highlighted the daunting challenges facing the country.

"The WASH sector is still facing significant challenges," said Ms Yunia Musaazi, Executive Director of the Uganda Water and Sanitation NGO Network. "When it comes to access to clean water, we are still lagging behind. At the beginning of the National Development Plan (NDP1), there was a target of universal access to both water and sanitation. But where we stand now, we are at around 70 per cent, which means that out of every 10 households, three households don't have access to clean water."

Ms Musaazi also emphasised the dire sanitation situation, stating that "close to more than 10 million Ugandans still don't have access to basic sanitation." She attributed these shortcomings to inadequate financing, requiring an additional 3 trillion shillings annually to meet the sector's needs.

"Lack of adequate financing is still a big problem, hindering implementation of clean water and sanitation programs," Musaazi explained. "As Civil Society Organisations, we are trying to put our voices together and invest in programs that support access to clean water and sanitation and environmental conservation."

Another key challenge, according to Musaazi, is the lack of adequate capacity among district local governments, particularly newly formed ones. "They don't have enough capacity to oversee who has clean water and sanitation or enforcement of policies like everyone having a toilet within their household."

Musaazi further highlighted the issue of coordination among CSOs. "Our network has a membership of more than 170 civil society organizations. But out of that, only 50 per cent of these civil society organizations report and submit their annual reports, so there is a lack of coordination to know who is doing what and where."

State Minister for Primary Healthcare, Ms Margaret Muhanga, echoed the concerns, emphasising the importance of the WASH sector for Uganda's development. Despite making significant progress in expanding WASH services, Uganda continues to grapple with challenges.

"According to the 2022 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, only 78 percent and 89 percent of rural and urban households, respectively, have access to an improved water source," Muhanga noted. "A substantial proportion of 8 percent practice open defecation. The same survey shows that about 51 percent of households have inadequate handwashing facilities in place."

Muhanga also highlighted institutional challenges:

- 17 per cent of healthcare facilities have no access to safe water

- 81 per cent access limited sanitation

- 10 per cent have no sanitation at all

- 31 per cent lack environmental cleanliness

Ms Muhanga urged CSOs to continue working in partnership and remain focused on their shared vision: "A Uganda where no one is left behind when it comes to Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene."

The forum, held under the theme "WASH: The Cornerstone for Achieving NDP IV Objectives," brought together stakeholders to discuss strategies for addressing Uganda's WASH challenges.