The farmers say that due to the reduced water volumes in the river, the scheme management has now resorted to rationing. Patrick Mwesige, a staff of the Mubuku Irrigation Scheme in charge of water, says the water in the river is not enough; affected by a dry spell, and human activities upstream which have affected the volumes in the canals.
Farmers in the Mubuku irrigation scheme in Kasese District are
worried about low production as irrigation waters continue to reduce. This follows the reduction of water volumes in river Sebwe, a
key tributary to the scheme.
The farmers say that due to the reduced water volumes in the
river, the scheme management has now resorted to rationing. Patrick Mwesige, a staff of the Mubuku Irrigation Scheme in
charge of water, says the water in the river is not enough; affected by a dry spell, and human activities upstream which have affected the volumes in the canals.
//Cue in; “The water in the river…
Cue out…at the scheme.”//
As a result, farmers who grow items that need
a constant water supply are suffering loses, according to James Mutase, who is growing beans and vegetables in the scheme. The farmer says his maize garden is already suffocating from
lack of water which is likely to affect his output. Mutase adds that work on the construction of a multi-purpose
dam in the area has remained so slow to aid the farmers.
//Cue in; “Mubutuku bunu….
Cue out…sana mayethi.”//
Beatrice Biira, another farmer who is hiring each acre at
200,000 Shillings per season is worried that she may fail to recover over 700,000 Shillings
that she invested in her maize garden. She says that major crops that are grown throughout all seasons depend
largely on the water to give farmers a good output.
Biira says that farmers upstream have uncontrollably
diverted the river to irrigate their farms hence suffocating those downstream.
//Cue in; “Ekithibu kya amayethi...
Cue out… ebyalya bikakwa.”//
Charles Onen, another farmer says the situation is likely to force farmers like him to
start planting only during the rainy spells. But this to Onen would mean that they will be struggling
to take care of their families due to the absence of sustainable economic activity.
Mubuku was established by the government as a settlement scheme
in the 1960s with the aim of providing agricultural facilities to absorb rural
people to earn a decent livelihood. But now the scheme production is under threat
because of a continuous decline of the water levels.
Basaija is a graduate of Uganda Christian University (UCU-Mukono) holding a Bachelors Degree in Mass Communication.
He is a currently pursuing a fellowship in Gender Communications at Aga Khan University Graduate School of Media and Communications Nairobi, Kenya and expected to graduate in 2025.
He also boosts of numerous training's in the journalism arena.
Before joining URN, he had served as documentation support personnel, radio presenter and a news editor.
