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Harriet, Kabarole District Uganda

Uganda

In Uganda, our priority is understanding and strengthening WASH systems at national and district levels. We are committed to helping our partner district, Kabarole, to achieve universal access by 2030.

Our team of 10 is led by Jane Nabunnya Mulumba and are based in offices in Kampala and Fort Portal - capital of our partner district, Kabarole.  In Fort Portal we're acting as hub to an alliance of partners committed to building strong WASH systems to deliver WASH services that last to everyone. At the national level, we're sharing the lessons learned and advocating for increased government and political leadership, public finance and the proper management and use of WASH services as part of the Uganda WASH Agenda for Change coalition.

Access to WASH services: basic and safely managed water 39% | basic sanitation 19% (open defecation 6%) | basic hygiene 8% (source, JMP)

Despite being considered one of the most developed sectors in sub Saharan Africa, Uganda's WASH coverage and quality of service delivery has stagnated over the last 10 years. Over 10 million Ugandans still live without safe water; 65% are not practising improved hygiene behaviour; and 8% of the total population practice open defecation.  Long a model for aid effectiveness through a sector wide approach, several long-term donors are withdrawing or switching back to project based aid.  IRC in Uganda is focused on supporting our partner district, Kabarole, to achieve universal access by 2030.  In addition, we are working to promote national and district political and financial commitment to WASH and contributing to the national WASH knowledge base through our WASH Agenda for Change coalition.

Kabarole’s WASH master plan: why ownership matters

Hariette Uganda WASH master planWASH master plans are a milestone in a process of district level collective action. Kabarole district local government launched its 2030 WASH master plan in February 2019.

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A quick guide to IRC in Uganda

IRC has developed guidelines for national and local government on how partners at district levels can work together to achieve full functionality in a district.

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WASH news and events

School children in Uganda

The situation around menstrual hygiene and health in Uganda

Government of Uganda has since 2014 intensified and set the discourse for Menstrual Hygiene...
WASH CSO representatives at the NDP3 dialogue in Kampala, April 2021

Uganda WASH civil society embrace new national development plan

Civil society working in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector in Uganda together with...
PPE distribution featuring LC5 Chair, Hon. Richard Rwabuhinga

Safeguarding public health where it matters most

IRC Uganda leads interventions to advance urgent improvements to the state of healthcare facilities...
https://www.ircwash.org/sites/default/files/sws_website-01.png

Harnessing the power of collective action: the journey so far

Stories and lessons learned from collective action by organisations supported by the Conrad N...
Kabarole District Chairperson Hon. Richard Rwabuhinga (in yellow shirt) with the district team and IRC WASH partners

IRC launches new partnership with Kabarole District

New project on supporting WASH in healthcare facilities in the fight against COVID-19.
Catherine Kemigabo, district health educator in Kabarole, Uganda

Investing in healthcare facilities saves lives: a video from Uganda

An appeal for more funding for water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in healthcare facilities in...
Kabarole chairman R. Rwabuhinga cuts ribbon to open sanitation facility at Bwanika Health Centre II

Bwanika Health Centre II gets much needed sanitation facility

Thanks to IRC Uganda's cost-saving initiative Bwanika Health Centre II in Kabarole District now has...
Jane Nabunnya IRC Country Director Uganda

Jane Nabunnya talking handwashing live on Next Radio 106.1

Tune in to Next Radio 106.1 and listen to Jane Nabunnya discussing the importance of handwashing.
Provision of personal protective equipment

Uganda: IRC supports COVID-19 response

In Kabarole District IRC's support is driven by strengthening WASH in healthcare facilities.
Mpanga river in Kabarole district, Uganda

Making progress on SDG 6 in Kabarole, Uganda

Uganda's national daily newspaper The New Vision features the Kabarole master plan for achieving...
Fetching water from the river, Uganda

UWASNET documentary calls for safe water during COVID-19

Ugandan NGO network calls on the national government to prioritise access to safe water.
Kabarole district Chairman

Highlights from our focus countries in 2019: Uganda

What impact did we have in our focus countries in 2019? Sharing highlights from IRC’s Annual Report...
Various stakeholders do a clean-up exercise in Fort Portal, Uganda

Regional Water and Environment Week 2020 in Kabarole District

This report highlights the activities of the 2020 Regional Water and Environment Week which...
Bulandina Tatu demonstrates the making of reusable menstrual pads by women in Batani village, Kwale County, Kenya

Integrating, collaborating and building capacity for menstrual hygiene management

What can Uganda and other sub-Saharan African countries learn from Kenya's successful approach to...
Minister of Local Government (left), receives copies of the district WASH Masterplan from Kabarole District Chairman (right)

Long-term planning essential for sustainable WASH services

Planning is the WASH systems building block that involves budgeting and the determination of costs...
A hand pump mechanic checks on the functionality of a newly rehabilitated borehole

Monitoring generates evidence, informs WASH planning

Monitoring is one of the key building blocks for an effective WASH system, which generates the...
Baluku (left) and Stephen Baryebuga (right) Members of Kabarole HPMA at work

Viable institutions are key to strong WASH systems

IRC supports institutions that promise to improve and professionalise the delivery and management...
Members of the IWRM Thematic Working Group participate in a learning session in Mbarara, June 2018

Applying lessons to improve WASH service delivery

Learning and adaptation is about preparedness to innovate and to use the insights and lessons...

Blogs, podcasts, opinions and more

Presenter in front of large screen with slide

Reflections from the 2020 Colorado WASH Symposium

Sharing, learning and collaborating at the University of Colorado annual WASH Symposium.
Mid-Western Umbrella of Water and Sanitation (MWUWS), Uganda

Utilitisation – the next step for rural water supply in Africa?

Public utilities are expanding into rural areas, are they the future of water and sanitation services?
Harriet Burungu, water user, Kabarole District, Uganda

Launching Kabarole’s WASH master plan: why ownership matters

In Uganda we follow and support where local government leads.
Kabarole launch

Strong WASH systems beget reliable services

IRC has been promoting the WASH systems approach in Kabarole District for five years now. What are the emerging lessons?
monitoring water points

Contextualising success and failure at three handpumps in Uganda

Case studies of the pay-as-you-fetch (PAYF) model in Kabarole District.
An example of using GIS to depict water point functionality was produced by IRC-Uganda

Geographical Information Systems in development

IRC Uganda is using GIS to map water point functionality.
Water pump

Giving data a soul: a case study on use of water point data in Uganda

Behind all water, sanitation and hygiene data is a story. Very, often these stories are hidden behind cold statistics that enable us to count and...

Useful links

WASH is about systems (video)

WASH is about systems. But does the systems approach work? How? And is it worth the effort? How can we accelerate adoption of the systems approach? In this video the effectiveness of systems approach is discussed and showing how IRC in Uganda is working with different actors to improve WASH service delivery.

Length: 7mins

Water resources: partake and protect (video)

A short documentary depicting some of the key issues surrounding WASH/IWRM Integration. It is set in Rwenzori Region, Western Uganda.

Length: 13mins.

Working for change in Uganda (video)

In Uganda, IRC is supporting local and national government to ensure that people get better water, sanitation and hygiene services. We believe that government needs to be empowered to create systems that make these services sustainable. We are working with WaterAid and Water For People in an alliance called WASH Agenda for Change to make this happen.

Length: 3mins.

The power of working together: Kabarole district (video)

In the Ugandan district of Kabarole, IRC is working to support local government create sustainable water and sanitation services and assisting to sustain them.

Length: 4mins 35sec.

Resources

Report of Regional Water and Environment Week held in Kabarole District and led by Albert Water...
Authors: IRC Uganda
Published: 04/2020
Pages: 11 p. : 11 photogr.
Kabarole District WASH master plan 2018-2030
Authors: Kabarole District Council
Published: 02/2019
Pages: 54 p., 7 fig., 17 tab. and 2 annexes
IRC Uganda : 2017-2021 strategy : building WASH systems to deliver the Sustainable Development Goals
Authors: Nabunnya Mulumba, J., Lockwood, H.
Published: 12/2019
Pages: 35 p. : 6 fig., 5 tab.
A baseline of the strength of the WASH system in Uganda
Authors: Magara, P., Huston, A., Anobe, F.
Published: 11/2018
Pages: 35 pgs
IRC annual report 2019
Authors: IRC
Published: 06/2020
Pages: 19 p. : boxes, fig., photogr.
Evaluation of water, sanitation, hygiene and environmental conditions in 40 healthcare facilities...
Authors: Person, M., Vigar, M., Trinies, V., Quick, R., Watsisi, M., Nabunnya Mulumba, J.
Published: 05/2019
Pages: 38 p. : 2 fig., 9 tab.
Provision of menstrual hygiene management facilities for girls and female teachers in primary and...
Authors: Ali, C. S.
Published: 02/2018
Pages: 67 p. : 4 fig., 9 tab.
Analysis on IRC's use of Pay as You Fetch : Kabarole district, Uganda
Authors: Cord, C.
Published: 09/2018
Pages: 14 p. : 1 fig. 2 tab.
Pre-feasibility study for a potential piped water system : Kabende subcounty, Kabarole district,...
Authors: Cord, C., Wallace, K.
Pages: iii, 22 p. : 5 fig., 5 tab.
A loud cry for access to quality, safe water in Rwangara Parish in Kanara Sub County, Ntoroko...
Authors: Birungi, S.
Published: 07/2018
Pages: 4 pages