UNICEF stuck with Multi-million Water Project in Adjumani Health Facility

ADJUMANI, UGANDA: The United Nations Children’s Agency (UNICEF) is stuck with the multi-million motorized water project at Chiforo Health Centre III in Adjumani district as the water situation at the health facility is worrying.

Chiforo health centre III motorized water project is part of the shs 700m water projects covering government institutions in three sub-counties in Adjumani including; Chiforo, Pachara and Pakele

The facility serves a population of over 30,000 people including the refugee population in Agojo Refugee’s Settlement.

The in-charge Chiforo health centre III, Mr Mamawi Henry told DailyExpress in an interview that the maternity ward at the facility is the worst hit as the wash rooms have no running water. This, he says, compromises the required hygiene ideals of mothers.

Patients and their caregivers have cried foul testifying that during difficult times they are forced to go and fetch water from a crowded borehole with long queuing time.

The Chiforo LCIII chairman Drazelega Luke in an interview on November 1, 2022, said the project in question was launched in 2020 and was planned to be completed in the same period but today the project has not been commissioned.

Drazelega said he tried explaining the predicament of the motorized water project and how it has left the health facility grappling with acute water shortage but both the contractor Agweru general merchandise Ltd and the district water officer turned out to be of little help to him.

The district water officer Izakare Richard held that the dilemma expressed by the LC III chairman Drazelega is straightforward but divulged that his office was reduced to a conduit in the implementation of the water project.

He explained that the project is off-budget support by UNICEF for the calendar year 2020, and the contract was also awarded by UNICEF Kampala office, his office was charged with the responsibility of kindly supervising the project.

‘’Unfortunately, during the sighting, the surveyors were restricted to the health facility compound because there was land conflict with the neighboring home and the water source has low yield’’.

Consequently, he said the wash rooms for maternity ward and other wards including the water borne toilets have not been put to use because the water well takes a lot of time to recharge describing the water well as intermittent with no continues yield.

‘’I acted and discussed the matter with Paul Semakula the WASH (Water and Sanitation) regional manager and we agreed on fresh surveying and the sub county leaders have readily provided alternative location for drilling fresh water source. Unfortunately, UNICEF has no money and are yet expecting more funds from their donor’ ’Izakare Richard explained.

The executive director Agweru General Merchandise Ltd Fadhul Yusuf said indeed it is true the works of the motorized water project was executed by his company and that the company has fulfilled the contractual obligations’.

Mr. Fadhul Yusuf said the contract liability is over and the company has been paid the contract retention of shs 70m and has therefore nothing to do with acute water shortage at the facility, he said the only hiccup the company met was that of shallow water well due to restricted surveying site,

He said the company could not drill from the neighboring homestead because the facility had a land conflict that limited surveying within the compound of the facility.

Nonetheless, Mr. Yusuf Fadhul has committed to rectifying the situation and being son of the soil. He said he could not let down his own people but that does not mean he is at fault.

The West Nile Zonal manager of UNICEF Paul Semakula could not pick up repeated telephone calls seeking comment as the mega water project at Chiforo health centre is on the verge of attaining no value for money.