 | The Vice - President of the United Republic of Tanzania H.E. Dr. Mohamed Shein (facing camera) is received at the Bukoba Customs intake by the Chief Technical Adviser of the Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative Mr. Robert Goodwin when the Vice-president arrived to inaugurate the renovated and expanded municipal water facilities funded by UN-HABITAT |
A UN-HABITAT project that has boosted the water supply in Bukoba Municipality, Tanzania was officially inaugurated by the Vice President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Mr. Mohamed Shein on March 22. The high profile event, the culmination of one week of national celebrations leading up to the World Water Day, was attended by Cabinet Ministers and other senior government officials. The rehabilitation and expansion work carried out at the Bukoba Customs intake under the Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative has more than doubled the production capacity of the Bukoba Water and Sanitation Board from 3 million to nearly 7 million litres per day. In addition, the programme has purchased meters, computers and water quality testing equipment to enhance the efficiency of the water utility and improve its capacity for revenue collection. Access to clean water for Bukoba residents without piped connections has been improved significantly through the construction of 25 water kiosks in low income residential areas of the town. The Managing Director of the Bukoba Water and Sanitation Board, Mr. Chagaka Kalimbia said the interventions had improved access to clean water for over 60,000 residents out of a total population of 106,000, adding that UN-HABITAT has so far contributed over TZS1 billion for water and sanitation improvements in Bukoba. Over the next few months, the programme will be working with the water utility to further improve water supply services in the town by extending the distribution network. Simultaneously, a follow-up phase of the training and capacity building programme for the utility’s staff will be implemented to ensure sustainability of the expanded delivery system. The Lake Victoria Region Water and Sanitation Initiative is a concrete step taken by UN-HABITAT in association with the Governments of Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda, and the Secretariat of the East African Community to support small towns in the Lake Victoria region to attain the water and sanitation target of the Millennium Development Goals. |
