Bugwere High School Faces Severe Water Crisis

Bugwere High School, located in the Bukedi sub-region, is grappling with an acute water crisis as an extended dry spell has depleted its usual water sources. The school, which hosts 5,558 students, relies on boreholes and rainwater harvesting, but both have become insufficient.

Headmaster Mr. Azizi Walumoli stated that the school’s ten boreholes have dried up, exacerbated by the local geography’s complex water table. Even rainwater harvesting tanks are now empty, leaving the institution with minimal natural water supply.

“The water table in this area is a bit complex. We need serious intervention to address the issue of water in the school,” Mr. Walumoli explained. He noted that students can only pump a meager amount of water, requiring hours of waiting for the boreholes to replenish, which disrupts school activities.

To meet the daily needs, the school administration is now buying water from neighboring districts, a measure that is proving financially burdensome. Each trip costs Shs200,000, and with six trips required every three days, the school spends Shs1.2 million for water, escalating to Shs2.4 million over six days.

This expenditure strains the school’s budget, diverting funds from other crucial needs like inadequate teaching staff and classroom shortages. The administration is appealing to the government, specifically the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, to extend piped water services to the school as a permanent solution.

Health officials have warned that insufficient water supply poses a risk of waterborne diseases. Local leaders and parents are echoing calls for immediate action, emphasizing the need for reliable water sources to ensure student health and academic focus. The crisis also serves as a stark reminder of climate change’s impact on eastern Uganda, characterized by increasingly unpredictable weather patterns.