By Bazio Doreen—Adjumani District.

The Adjumani Water Supply and Sanitation Project is expected to revolutionize access to safe water and improve water and sanitation coverage in Adjumani Town Council, its surrounding sub-counties, and selected nearby refugee settlements.

The Project targets domestic use beneficiaries from the 2 Town Councils of Pakele and Adjumani, the 2 sub-counties of Pachara and Dzaipi, and the 3 refugee settlements of Nyumanzi, Olua, and Pagirinya, as well as selected institutions.

Funded by the World Bank, the project, which currently stands at 50% completion, is spearheaded by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) and forms an essential part of the Integrated Water Management and Development Project (IWMDP). The project is being executed by China Communications Construction Company Ltd. (CCCC) at a cost of UGX 59.8 billion and is expected to end by September 2025.

The project encompasses the construction of a raw water intake of capacity 12,000 cubic meters per day on the River Nile; 8.8 km of Distribution Network with raw water transmission to the Mijale Water treatment plant; construction of a water treatment plant of capacity 4,000 cubic meters per day expandable to 8,000 cubic meters per day; 22 km of Distribution Network with transmission to the Mokolo master Balancing reservoir; drilling and developing 3 motorized boreholes in the refugee settlements of Nyumanzi, Olua, and Pagirinya; construction of a fecal sludge treatment plant of capacity 3.6 cubic meters per day in Amelo; and construction of 7 sanitation blocks across public places in Adjumani.

Izakare Richard Kareode, the District Water Officer, says that the project is going to increase the water coverage in Adjumani Town Council and other target locations from 95% to 100%. He also added that the water coverage and sanitation coverage across the district are likely to improve with the construction of the sanitation facilities, boreholes, and reservoirs in the target locations. 

“There is going to be a constant supply of water because the River Nile is surface water. We are currently depending on groundwater, which is affected by changes in the weather and makes pumping it difficult. This is also going to be good for those who have a tap but no tank. Even adding new members on the distribution network will now not affect supply to existing users,” Izakare explained. 

Indeed, Chandia Rose Mary, a resident of Adjumani Town Council, says that for a long time, there has been high demand for water, and yet the supply has been low, which is attributed to an increasing number of new users on the distribution network.

“Water supply in Adjumani Town has been inconsistent. There are moments where some parts even take days or weeks before they are connected back. This is because water sometimes becomes insufficient,” Chandia observed.

Izakare also observes that the project will improve sanitation and hygiene in homes as well as reduce transmission of waterborne diseases. According to records at the District Health Office, out of 50,373 households, 9,829 have no latrines, only 18,590 have improved latrines, 27,010 haven’t attained Open Defecation Free Status (ODF), and 4,665 still lack access to safe drinking water.

On his part, Jogo Titus, the Refugee Desk Officer—Office of the Prime Minister, Pakele, says that the rapid increase in the refugee population has placed immense pressure on the existing water infrastructure. He observed that the project will find a lasting solution and reduce reliance on unsafe water or distant water sources.

“The demand has outstripped supply. The systems we have put in place were not designed for such big numbers. Trekking long distances is not sustainable. Some people are forced to consume unsafe water because of the challenges in access to clean, safe water,” Jogo noted.

Meanwhile, according to Martin Orwiny, the NWSC Project Engineer, the boreholes are solar powered and high yielding, and also NWSC will provide security for the infrastructure they are putting in place to avoid any contamination or sabotage. Orwiny also says that the underground tunnels or pipes are safe and similar to those used in Europe.

“We are going to ensure that the pipes are safe and the water supply remains undisrupted. Imagine the insecurity that would be posed by exposing these pipes. NWSC will contract a private security company to guard all the facilities we are putting in place,” Orwiny revealed. 

As of May 30^th 2025, according to the Uganda Water Supply Atlas, Adjumani has 1,113 domestic water points. 46 of them have been non-functional for the last 5 years and are considered abandoned. Only 87% of water points in Adjumani Town Council are functional. Many of the water points are non-functional because of low yield, technical breakdown, poor water quality, nearby alternatives, and vandalism.

The raw water extraction point in Arra Village near River Nile

By Bazio Doreen—Adjumani District.

Adjumani District Local government has approved a UGX 49,372,995,000 budget for Financial Year 2025/2026 during its sixth ordinary council sitting held on Thursday, 29^th May 2025, at the District Council Hall.

This is down from the UGX 50,599,454,000/= budget for Financial Year 2024/2025 that ends on June 30th, 2025. The budget for the next financial year is based on the theme ‘Full monetization of Uganda’s economy through commercial agriculture, industrialization, expanding and broadening services, digital transformation, and market access.”

The sitting was chaired by Hon. Oloya Jackson Otim, the District Speaker, who reminded the Honorable District Councilors that the budget would be approved in line with the priorities in the District Development Plan IV.

“This is a mandatory meeting. I don’t expect a lot of debate and arguments because the budget is in line with what the district has prioritized in the next five years. I have been informed that the first draft of the DDP IV has been submitted to NPA,” Hon. Oloya informed the Honorable Councilors.

While presenting the budget estimates, Hon. Adrupio Irene Appi, the Secretary for Finance, informed the Honorable councilors that the Education and Health sectors will take a lion’s share in the budget. She highlighted the budget estimates for the departments as UGX 17,235,859,847/= for Education, UGX 17,147,219,823/= for Health, UGX 6,317,961,637/= for Administration, UGX 530,925,700/= for Finance, UGX 756,349,677/= for Council and Statutory Bodies, UGX 2,362,606,707/= for Production and Marketing, UGX 1,729,145,000/= for Roads and Engineering, UGX 685,125,239/= for Water, UGX 698,570,742/=, UGX 976,333,639/= for Community Based Services, UGX 677,353,913/= for Planning, UGX 109,360,698/= for Internal Audit, and UGX 146,188,340/= for Trade, Industry, and Local Economic Development. The district also plans to utilize UGX 3,087,554,487/= to recruit staff to fill 166 positions

Hon. Adrupio also said that the total budget would be financed through UGX 2,647,558,000/= from Locally Raised Revenues, UGX 3,958,787,000/= from discretionary government transfers, UGX 37,954,950,000/= from conditional government transfers, UGX 941,537,000/= from other government transfers, and UGX 3,870,163,000/= from external financing. She further noted that the resource envelope was mainly attributed to a reduction in external financing.

“Mr. Speaker, our budget has mainly been reduced due to the closure of projects like DRDIP, and USMID-AF. UNHCR has also reduced its budget to the district by 20%,” Hon. Adrupio said.

On his part, Hon. Anyama Ben, the District Chairperson, refuted claims that the district wouldn’t benefit from USMID-AF II, because of delays in the road construction in Adjumani Town Council by Rock Trust Contractors Limited.

“The USMID-AF road in Adjumani Town Council is progressing well and will be completed soon. The last option is already being worked on. Let me see what else you will say when the road is complete and phase II commences,” Hon. Anyama said.

Hon. Anyama also informed the Speaker that the district leadership is investigating claims that roadblocks have been set up in Itirikwa, Ukusijoni, and Pakele Sub Counties by the UPDF who are not only collecting illegal taxes from the movement of goods, animals, and services but also defiling and raping young girls.

On the other hand, Hon. Mau Gabriel Kodili, the Chairperson of the Finance Standing Committee, also informed the august house that in a joint committee meeting for scrutinizing the budget, it was resolved that the council hall be decorated with a wall of fame with the portraits of notable personalities from the district and District Local Councilors for the regime 2021-2026. 

“We want to do something unique during our term of office. We want the people in the future to remember us and those that have done a lot for the progress and growth of this district,” Hon. Kodili explained.

However, while making his concluding remarks, Okware Emmanuel, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, warned the councilors against campaigning before the Electoral Commission permits them to do so as per the election road map.

“I implore you to remain calm. There is no need for unnecessary processions before campaigns are launched. You saw what happened in the Kawempe North by-election. Don’t do things that will make you lose your seat prematurely,” Okware warned.

On the roadblocks by UPDF, Okware noted that these will be discussed in the next District Security Committee meeting together with the Presidential directive to evict balaalos from West Nile.

The Speaker and the Clerk to Council

By Bazio Doreen—Adjumani District.

In Adjumani District, the National Identity Card renewal exercise was launched on Monday, May 26th 2025 at both the district headquarters and the Office of the Resident District Commissioner, where civil servants and public servants were given an opportunity to renew their National Identity Cards. Adjumani received 28 kits, with 2 kits placed in each subcounty and the rest at government institutions.

While addressing the gathering, the District Chairperson of Adjumani, Hon. Anyama Ben, rallied the leaders to mobilize their communities to take part in the exercise, observing that the National Identity Card as become an integral part of assessing many critical services both within and outside the country.

“There are people who travel a lot. You can use the National ID to travel within East Africa. I call upon everyone to embrace this exercise because in the future having an ID will be a mandatory requirement for accessing critical services like Health just as the bank and other sectors are already implementing it,” Hon. Anyama observed.

Hon. Anyama also tasked the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA) to utilize local leaders like Local Council I Chairpersons (LCIs) in refugee host sub-counties to enable registration assistants to differentiate between refugees and nationals so as to avoid disrupting the peaceful co-existence milestones already achieved by these communities.

“We have refugees who also belong to the Ma’di, Kakwa, Kuku, and Acholi tribes. This similarity could easily lead to misidentification or fraud,” Hon. Anyama said.

In response, the NIRA District Registration Officer, Balaba Fred, revealed that NIRA had put in place measures to help registration assistants verify details of individuals before enrolling them in the renewal process. The new IDs are expected to remain valid for ten years.

“First-time applicants are required to present an LCI letter with their personal details, and this should also be endorsed by the District Internal Security Officer (DISO),” Balaba assured the district leaders.

NIRA has deployed 5,300 biometric registration machines across the country, with the exercise expected to be extended up to the parish level. The authority has also additionally formed verification committees in each district chaired by the Resident District Commissioners (RDCs). About Ugx 666.85 billion has been allocated for the exercise targeting 15.8 million IDs for eligible Ugandans.

Balaba Fred, the Adjumani NIRA District Registration Officer, is enrolling the CAO-Adjumani on the system.

By Bazio Doreen.

Security officials in Adjumani District, led by the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), have sensitized migrant cattle keepers, commonly known as ‘Balaalos,’ on the recent Presidential Order Number 03 that said they should be evicted from Northern Uganda.

The eviction announcement had earlier been made by the State Minister for Northern Uganda, Dr. Kenneth Omona, who gave them a 14-day ultimatum ending on June 5^th, 2025. This followed a May 19^th 2025, meeting of security leaders from Northern Uganda with His Excellency, President Yoweri Museveni.

In a District Security Meeting held at the RDC’s office on Monday, June 2^nd, 2025, where the leaders of the Balaalos in Adjumani were in attendance, the RDC, Taban Peter Data, explained that although a similar directive issued earlier on May 23^rd was temporarily halted due to the Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) quarantine, many of the Balaalos didn’t meet the guidelines earlier set for them.

“We recently did an inspection and moved in all the bushes with a team from the State House. Unfortunately, many of you didn’t meet the standards except for 5 people. You must now prepare to leave. Your animals have been destroying crops in the community, and their cries have now reached the president,” Taban explained.

The balaalos had been told to have a land agreement in place for where to put their animals; every one acre should only hold 2 and ½ cows, the area should be fenced with 4 layers of barbed wire, and it should have running water. The District Veterinary Officer (DVO) is also expected to inspect the animals before they are put in the secured kraal.

Taban also informed the balaalos that security officials in the district were ready to enforce the directive but that this would follow some guidelines.

“We are going to ask everyone to bring the documents for the land to be verified before we accept you to settle because some of you could have bought air. However, landlords, I urge you to respect the agreements if they bought it genuinely and don’t claim their animals. We know all the animals that entered and where they are located,” Taban warned.

Taban also assured the landlords that smaller meetings would be held with them to discuss case-by-case issues to ensure that the process is efficient and that both parties aren’t affected by the prompt eviction.

Similarly, the commanding officer of the 5th Infantry Battalion at Bibia Military Barracks, Maj. Mutungi Maxwell, tasked the sub-county leaders to have hoarding grounds for the animals to make verification easy. He also said that the remaining animals will be auctioned if not claimed.

“We ask all sub-counties to have a hoarding ground. We have profiled all the cows and know their owners. All districts will be doing the same across Northern Uganda. We have also agreed that all of you use the Karuma Bridge to take your animals,” Mutungi said.

On his part, the District Police Commander, SSP Dickson Ayesigomwe, cautioned the balaalos to be mindful of their safety and that of their cattle because some criminals could leverage the opportunity being created by the transition to commit crime.

“Among you there are dealers. A lot of crime is going to happen. We don’t want to hear that your cows have been stolen. Desist from any sort of crime from you or others. Some landlords may also want to reclaim their land after selling it to you. You should be very careful,” Ayesigomwe warned.

Meanwhile, the chairperson of the Balaalos in Adjumani, Batereza Peter, appreciated the government for laying out such procedures to protect them from fraud by the landlords. He also thanked the government for allowing them to retain their land.

“Let us cooperate with the security officials. Let us be grateful that the government has allowed us to use our land. We can use it for agriculture. Let us be confident that the land will remain ours,” Batereza appreciated.

The Speaker of the Balaalos, Kalanzi Charles Otafiire, also requested the government to give them more time to organize themselves, as some of them had sold everything from where they were before resettling in Northern Uganda.

Adjumani has 1,300 balaalos who have animals in 21 kraals. These are located in sub-counties of Pachara, Pakele, Dzaipi, Itirikwa, and Ukusijoni. On the other hand, West Nile, Acholi, and Lango have approximately 757 herdsmen and an estimated 92,000 herds of cattle, according to the army.

Security Officials pose for a group photo with the leaders of the balaalos

By Bazio Doreen

Leaders and key stakeholders in Adjumani District have renewed the fight against bush burning and stray animals by advocating for the review of the ordinance 8 on environment and ordinance 6 on production as well as the District Contingency Plan (2022-2025).

The District Contingency Plan was developed to create and establish an efficient institutional mechanism for integrating disaster preparedness and management into socio-economic development in the district. Part III (19) of the Ordinance on environment that was enacted in 2015 states that a person shall not burn or set fire or cause to burn any bush or established woodlot, while part III (23 i) states that the District Veterinary Officer or police shall seize any animal of which there is reason to believe the owner has refused to take and keep charge of and shall take such an animal to the pound.

The call was made during a training on Disaster Risk Reduction convened by the Food for the Hungry Association (FHA) at the district headquarters on 14th May 2025, which was attended by the Resident District Commissioner, all District Councilors, Refugee Welfare Officers (RWCs), Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Settlement Commandants, Community Development Officers, Sub County Chiefs and Chairpersons, and Extension workers/staff.

While making his opening remarks, Hon. Ben Anyama, the District Chairperson, said that while the district has made an effort to put in place a Contingency Plan, the District Disaster Management Committee has been resource-constrained to effectively implement it, and many of the laws on bush burning and stray animals aren’t being enforced as expected due to the same challenge.

“Disaster happens every day, but the government hasn’t taken it as a serious issue… The District Contingency Plan is not a law; we can’t use it to implement… Disaster should have an annual budget because it is a cross-cutting issue,” Hon. Anyama said.

The training also resolved that all Sub County leaders should submit monthly reports to the District Veterinary Officer on the management of stray animals; tasked Veterinary Officers to ensure that all animals in their areas of mandate are branded; and called for the setting up of village committees to monitor bush burning in their communities.

Bush burning is a common practice in Adjumani district, especially during the dry season. Some people do bush burning to prepare land for farming, while others use it to improve grazing for their animals or hunting, while others do it as a tradition. In the process, property, which includes food crops in gardens, houses, and animals, gets destroyed, and in worse scenarios, human beings even get burnt.

On the other hand, the district continues to grapple with the management of stray animals because there are many stakeholders involved, including leaders at all levels, the courts of law, the Uganda Police Force, and the OPM.

Hon. Korina Ewakodra, the Secretary for Production, said, “there is a need to scale up multi-sectoral sensitization at all levels. The LCs are the ones inviting balaalos to their communities. This needs to be addressed.”

Meanwhile, Hon. John Sabuni, the Secretary for Health, noted that while the invasion of balaalos has contributed to frustrating the fight against stray animals, as a refugee-hosting district, the leaders have to do more to ensure that refugees only keep animals that they can manage.

“99% of the stray animals are owned by refugees. Refugees are grazing animals in gardens of the host communities, and OPM is supporting them 100%; that is our challenge. When you arrest culprits, OPM defends them. It is almost causing chaos,” Hon. Sabuni explained.

However, Mr. Kuai Ajak Deng, Chairperson of the Refugee Welfare Councilor II in Ayilo I Settlement, observed that OPM has made milestones to gradually change the mindset of refugees to effectively manage their animals while maintaining peaceful co-existence with their host communities.

“When we came here, we were very hostile because of the situation we were in at the time. But now we have reformed. We are now pleading for peaceful coexistence because we need it. We have agreed as RWCs that only animals allowed by us can be moved,” Mr. Ajak narrated.

In his closing remarks, Mr. Emmanuel Okware, the Deputy Resident District Commissioner, appreciated this effort, noting that community problems need community solutions because bush burning and stray animals have persisted despite sensitization on the radio. 

According to data by the Global Forest Watch, there have been 249 Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRs) fire alerts reported so far in 2025 in Adjumani. The most fires of 391 were recorded in 2016. From 2001 to 2023, Adjumani lost 9 Hectares of tree cover from fires. On the other hand, in November 2024, 4 refugees were arrested in connection to disputes over grazing and allegations of armed robbery and theft. FHA is implementing the Ayiri Children, Youth, and Community for Change (CYCC) project in Maaji I, Maaji II (Ayiri Parish, Ukusijoni Sub-County), and Mungula (Itirikwa Sub-County) refugee settlements with a goal of creating a safe and enabling environment where children and youth thrive. 

By Bazio Doreen 

Authorities in Adjumani District, in collaboration with Right to Play (an NGO), have launched the Ugx 11.9 billion Ready to Learn Project in the district to improve learning outcomes and support 20,000 children in developing critical life skills through the power of play.

The three-year (2025-2027) project funded by the Lego Foundation aims to support the targeted children’s psychosocial well-being as they transition from 25 pre-primary schools (ECD) to primary education in 10 primary schools, targeting 20 teachers, 20 head teachers, and 4 staff from the District Education Office. In Adjumani, the school completion rate stands at 48%.

Speaking during the project inception meeting that took place at the district headquarters on 13th May 2025, Ms. Joseline Draleru, the Community Services Officer at the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) Pakele, who represented the Refugee Desk Officer, noted that the project would reduce Gender Based Violence, family separation, and child neglect.

“Some parents and caregivers lack skills on how to handle their children’s emotions, and this causes conflict as both the child and parent hide their feelings. Children and parents will become practical in relaying their problems to each other,” Draleru noted.

The project will be implemented in 8 refugee settlements: Maaji I, II, and III; Oliji; Nyumanzi; Agojo; Mungula; Pagirinya; Ayilo; and Borooli; and 6 sub-counties: Ofua, Ciforo, Dzaipi, Itirikwa, Pakele, and Adjumani Town Council.

Similarly, Ms. Sylvia Masika Hope, the Program Manager – Right to Play, observed that many parents not only have inadequate parenting skills to handle the emotions of their children, but some don’t play their role in ensuring that their children access education and have time to play.

“Many parents are not ready to support their children. They don’t know the importance of education and the role of play,” Masika observed. 

The project targets 4,500 parents/caregivers and will conduct 26 play to grow flex programs. These are parenting sessions that train ECD caregivers and parents on gender-responsive and inclusive playground approaches to foster children’s social-emotional learning and well-being. The sessions also seek to strengthen the relationship between parents and children.

Masika also observed that, just like parents, many teachers also lack the required knowledge and skills to know how to respond to children’s emotional needs while at school.

“Some teachers aren’t well equipped with knowledge on how to carry out learning in ECD with incorporation of play. We intend to keep them with skills on how to teach through emotional learning,” Masika explained.

On his part, Mr. Henry Lulu Leku, the Assistant District Health Officer In charge of Maternal Health, noted that “Even the most vulnerable person, when supported with education, can see light at the end of the tunnel. There is a need to include other aspects like nutrition and health because they form part of psychosocial well-being.”

In affirmation, Ms. Frances Dipio, the Senior Probation and Social Welfare Officer, noted that there is a need for the project to also cater to other aspects of social well-being both at school and in homes.

“Embracing school feeding program is still a challenge, especially in refugee schools, because of reduced food ration and funding… where children are well fed, you can also see that the performance is usually good,” Dipio noted.

The 2024 Uganda Food Security Report shows that malnutrition in refugee settlements in Adjumani stands at 7.1%. Right to Play has been implementing projects in Adjumani since 2017. The Ready to Learn project shall also be implemented in Obongi district in partnership with Global Fund for Children, Amma Foundation, War Child Alliance, AMREF, and Innovations for Poverty Action.

By Bazio Doreen

Authorities in Adjumani and the Royal Danish Embassy (DANIDA) have launched the Uganda Refugee Resilience Initiative (URRI) project in the district, building on the milestones of the Northern Uganda Resilience Initiative (NURI) project that ended in 2023. NURI contributed to the resilience of over 130,000 households in Northern Uganda and provided agricultural advisory services to more than 4,000 farmer groups.

Funded by DANIDA and running up to December 2028, URRI is designed to enhance climate resilience and promote sustainable development for refugees and host communities across Uganda, mainly operating in the areas previously supported under NURI.

In Northern and Western Uganda, the project will be implemented by a consortium of 7 partners led by Save the Children. The other partners in the consortium are World Vision, AVSI Foundation, Kabarole Research Centre Uganda (KRC), Uganda Network on Law Ethics and HIV/AIDS (UGANET), Youth Social Advocacy Team (YSAT), and Uganda Response Innovation Lab (U-RIL).

In his welcome remark at the launch ceremony that took place at Lavic Hotel on Thursday, 8th May 2025, Hon. Anyama Ben, the District Chairperson of Adjumani, appreciated DANIDA for funding two critical projects (URRI and SAY) in the district, addressing pressing issues in production and reproductive health, respectively.

While pledging the district’s support to ensure that the project succeeds, the Chairman also thanked the embassy for choosing Adjumani and observed that the project would not only restore the environment but also improve food security and build resilience of the beneficiaries. 

“Thank you for choosing Adjumani because you could have taken this project elsewhere. We are going to support the implementation and make sure the project succeeds,” Hon. Anyama said.

Hon. Anyama added, “Our biggest problem now is food. When you don’t have food, you can’t be productive. The lack of food is likely to cause conflict in the district due to the large number of refugees we host. WFP needs to rethink. But we thank you for your support.”

The key Components of the URRI program include: Climate-smart agriculture training, financial inclusion initiatives, post-harvest handling, and Value-addition training. It will also offer support for alternative sustainable livelihoods, energy-saving technologies, leadership training for women and adolescent girls, and the cultivation of multi-purpose trees to benefit households and communities.

In response, H.E. Adam Spilimo, the Deputy Royal Danish Ambassador, who presided over the ceremony, explained that Adjumani was chosen for its generosity and hospitality, complemented by the long and enduring partnership with the local government that motivates continuous support.

“Adjumani is by far the most generous district, and that merits recognition. We recognize this not in words but with action and support. We know that hosting refugees puts a lot of pressure on the environment,” H.E. Spilimo appreciated district leaders.

 In affirmation, Taban Peter Data, the Resident District Commissioner of Adjumani, observed that the project will foster peaceful coexistence between the refugee and host communities, improve food security, and reduce degradation of the environment.

“WFP gave the refugees food, but no one gave them firewood to prepare it, and that is why we have seen continued deforestation for firewood. Feeding people for years is not sustainable; refugees should be supported to work and earn,” Taban observed.

Aligned to the National Development Plan IV (2025-2030) and with a total budget of shs 145 billion (USD 40 million), URRI aims to create sustainable and durable solutions for Uganda’s refugee-affected districts of Yumbe, Obongi, Moyo, Madi Okollo, Terego, Koboko, Adjumani, Lamwo, and Kyegegwa, where high levels of poverty have exacerbated the impact of refugees and climate change.

In Adjumani, the project will be implemented district-wide, targeting 7,404 households as direct beneficiaries and 49,388 as indirect beneficiaries. Of these, 4,442 will be women and youth, 222 Persons with Disabilities, and 2,962 men. These will also be arranged in 246 farmer groups, where 2,591 will be refugees while 4,813 will be from the host communities.

By Bazio Doreen

Authorities and Health facility Managers in Adjumani have met to strategize how to improve performance on the WASH and infection prevention scorecard. This follows a dismal performance in Water coverage, Sanitation hygiene, and infection control at both the health facility and community levels.

According to a study conducted by WaterAid, an NGO implementing in the district, for the period between January and March 2025, the 43 health centers in the district had achieved an average of 58% in WASH and Infection control at their facilities. The study assessed the health facility based on 6 parameters: Water supply, sanitation facilities, health care waste management, Environment and cleaning, management and training, and hand hygiene. The findings show that: Water coverage stands at 68%, sanitation and hygiene stand at 56%, infection prevention stands at 62%, health care waste management stands at 64%, washroom management stands at 53%, and general cleaning and administration stand at 43%. 

While sharing the findings in a review meeting held at the district council hall on Wednesday, April 30th, 2025, Onen David Livingstone, the SHARE Project Officer—WaterAid, noted that the findings were not only embarrassing but also suggested that the health facilities could be harboring diseases or infections, and this could potentially affect the health-seeking behaviors of patients due to loss of trust.

“This performance is unacceptable and way below the set standard. This is dangerous because one may visit the health center when you are not sick and leave with an infection. Some of you are even providing services without personal protective gear,” David noted.

The community is not spared either; the Village Health Teams (VHTs) were also accused of laxity in: creating awareness, conducting surveillance, conducting sensitization, referrals, mappings and offering minor treatment as ideal HC Is at the village level.  According to records at the District Health Office, out of 50,373 households, 9,829 have no latrines, only 18,590 have improved latrines, 27,010 haven’t attained Open Defecation Free Status (ODF), and 4,665 still lack access to safe drinking water.

Atama Yunus, the District Biostatician, observed that the poor findings were mainly because of a lack of reporting by the VHTs due to limited motivation or education level, inadequate reporting tools, and lack of transport since some villages are quite big. Adjumani has 210 villages, 420 VHTs in the host communities, and 285 in the refugee community. He, however, quickly added that a new reporting tool will be rolled out in July 2025, and these concerns will be addressed before then.

In affirmation, Lulu Henry Leku, the ADHO-MCH, notes that if everyone played their part, clients at the Outpatient Department would continue to reduce by 1,000, as it has been the norm. He noted that this is key because health facilities are required to allocate up to 30% of their total budget for disease prevention and control with a target of conducting 48 outreaches. This, he said, isn’t debatable because these are assessed annually by the Office of the Prime Minister and contribute towards the general performance of the district.

While sharing his experience after his facility scored 100% in the study, Dima Felix, the Health Facility Incharge at Ajugopi HC II, said that they usually conduct mock assessments, motivate all key stakeholders like LCIs and VHTs to participate, the Health Assistant verifies the data, they do joint data screening, and they also leverage support from partners in the WASH sector.

“Everything is based on teamwork. We support and motivate each other to play their roles even without facilitation,” Felix revealed.

Building on the testimony, while making his closing remarks at the meeting, Hon. Sabuni John, the Secretary for Health, warned that the district leadership is aware that some health workers are fighting each other instead of working together and that they were ready to take appropriate action because they (especially the politicians) don’t want their opponents to leverage such loopholes.

“I hear some of you are playing politics on your colleagues. You leave that; it is not good. You need to improve… A weak politician may visit your Health centre and identify loopholes for their manifesto. Don’t give strength to our opponents to challenge us because we shall also deal with you after,” Hon. Sabuni warned.

The meeting was attended by health-in-charges, members of the District Health Office, and representatives from the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM), Lutheran World Federation (LWF), and Action Against Hunger. The meeting agreed on various recommendations and resolutions, including leveraging ongoing water projects to extend water to health facilities where it lacks, improving support supervision and motivation of VHTs through Health Assistants and Health Inspectors, conducting the 48 mandatory outreaches, exchanging visits between best and worst performing health centers, encouraging VHTs to frequently update their registers, and harmonizing the number of households per the catchment area of each health facility.

WaterAid is currently implementing the Sexual Health and Reproductive Education (SHARE) project in Uganda, with support from the Government of Canada through Global Affairs Canada. The five-year SHARE project that ends in 2025 seeks to advance gender equality and increase the enjoyment of health-related human rights by vulnerable right-holders, particularly adolescent girls and young women. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) play a critical role in achieving SRHR for women and girls, especially as it relates to personal health.

Through SHARE, WaterAid has been partnering with the district to rehabilitate WASH systems in healthcare facilities, including installing handwashing units to prevent the spread of disease; restructuring sanitation facilities to ensure that toilets are inclusive and gender sensitive; training healthcare workers in healthcare facilities and in the community on WASH infection prevention and control; installing safe waste disposal systems; and training healthcare workers on proper waste management. 

By Doreen Bazio—Adjumani District.

UN Women and Stanbic bank, Uganda, have partnered to advance the digitization of Village Savings and Loans Associations (VSLAs), promote financial literacy, and improve access to critical services for refugee women and the host community in Dzaipi Sub County, Adjumani District.

At an event that took place at the Women’s Center in Nyumanzi Settlement on April 29th, 2025, the duo donated 35 smartphones and 1,250 fruit tree seedlings (jackfruit, mango, and avocado) to VSLAs, 334 mama kits to Nyumanzi HC II, and 133 reusable sanitary pads to girls and young women between 15 and 35 years old.

UN Women, with support from the Government of Norway and in partnership with Oxfam Uganda, Whitaker Peace and Development Initiative (WPDI), Refugee Law Project (RLP), and the Coalition on Action for 1325, is implementing the Leadership, Empowerment, Access, and Protection (LEAPII) project (2022-2025) across Adjumani, Yumbe, Kyegegwa, and Terego districts. In Adjumani, 2,990 beneficiaries are being targeted.

Testimony.

According to Rose Chandia, a beneficiary and member of Amesutakuru Savings Group, they received training in financial literacy, and this has shaped how they allocate and manage resources within their households. She also observes that this has since boosted the confidence and self-esteem of many women in the community because they feel their contribution is acknowledged and respected.

“I was able to take my son to secondary school after he completed primary seven. This made my husband start listening to my advice and taking my ideas seriously. We are now engaged in commercial farming, and our family income has since increased,” Rose said while expressing gratitude during the event.

The Amesutakuru Saving Group, based in Nyumanzi Settlement, is one of the 35 groups that received financial literacy training from WPDI. The groups save on a weekly basis for the host communities and on a monthly basis for the refugees. Their cumulative savings as of March 2025 stand at shs 213,400,000/=, loans stand at shs 181,100,000/=, and cumulative social funds are shs 30,430,000/=. The average loan per group stands at shs 5,174,200/=. The loans are picked and utilized for petty businesses, paying school fees, and attending to health-related matters. Additionally, 25 groups also received small business grants totaling shs 62,500,000/=. These collect revenue of between shs 800,000/= and shs 6,000,000/=.

Stakeholders speak out.

Speaking in affirmation, Dr. Catherine Poran, the Chief Executive Officer of the Stanbic Business Incubator, said the bank has purposed to drive the growth of the economy by improving access to affordable credit, strengthening financial inclusion, and addressing barriers to financial empowerment for marginalized communities like the refugees through their corporate social responsibility role. She also encouraged the beneficiaries to not only plant but also grow the fruit trees as a source of income in the future.

“We are not just a financial institution, but we also provide social services by being intentional about contributing towards addressing challenges that hinder economic empowerment for the people we serve,” Dr. Poran explained.

On why this partnership is key, Dr. Paulina Chiwangu, the UN Women Uganda Country Representative, said that digital and financial inclusion for refugee women is key because very few of them have access to smartphones/digital devices, and yet this acts as a hindrance to economic growth in a fast-paced technology environment where everything is now digital. 

“Only about 16.9 million women in Uganda have access to a smartphone. Uganda’s digital gender gap is more pronounced in rural areas and marginalized communities like those of refugees. I was once a refugee in South Sudan, so I know what empowerment means for you,” Dr. Chiwangu observed.

On his part, Hon. Kaijuka Richard Arthur, the District Vice Chairperson, thanked UN Women for the support and continued collaboration over the years. He thanked UN Women for contributing to peaceful co-existence between refugees and host communities by initiating contributions that conserve the environment, as large parts of it are depleted by the refugees for firewood.

“Adjumani is extremely hot partly because of how we continue to deplete the environment. Planting the trees is a good idea, but sustainability is also key. I urge you to continue supporting the beneficiaries to grow the trees,” Hon. Kaijuka advised. 

However, Mr. Jogo Titus, the Refugee Desk Officer in the Office of the Prime Minister Pakelle, said that Nyumanzi Settlement has a good reputation for sustaining interventions and was thus optimistic that they would do the same with the donations. He added that there was, however, a need for more support because the district receives refugees on a daily basis, and yet, on the other hand, the World Food Program hasn’t only reduced its monthly cash assistance from shs 14,000/= to shs 10,000/= per individual but also only gives food and not trees. He also requested for the support to be extended to the other 19 settlements.

About the project.

Since 2022, UN Women and WPDI have reached out to 2,830 beneficiaries, with 2,500 of them women. The LEAP II project has 4 components: Gender Action Learning System (441 beneficiaries), Climate Smart Agriculture (389 beneficiaries, 70 acres of commercial orchids), Business support (829 beneficiaries), and VSLAs (1,171 beneficiaries). The LEAP project aims to strengthen gender-responsive humanitarian programming, enhance women’s leadership and protection, and promote sustainable livelihoods for refugee and host community women and girls. Earlier this year (2025), UN Women and Stanbic bank, Uganda, signed a 2-year Memorandum of Understanding to extend the #StanbicForHer initiative, a corporate social responsibility campaign by the bank, to 4 refugee camps, including Adjumani. 

91% of refugee families in Uganda are very susceptible economically, with West Nile refugees having the greatest degree of vulnerability (96%) as compared to those in the Southwest (84%). This is mainly because relief assistance is the primary source of income for around 54% of the refugee families. However, now refugees are able to participate in economic activities, and this percentage has since decreased to 37%, according to Oxfam Uganda.

END.