In a recent speech at the 13th annual Civil Society Organizations forum on water, sanitation, and hygiene in Kampala, Mr. Callist Tindimuyaga, the Commissioner responsible for water resources, planning, and regulations at the Ministry of Water and Environment, stated that the Ministry requires an annual budget of 7.6 trillion Shillings to attain the sixth Sustainable Development Goal (SDG), aiming to provide access to clean water and sanitation for all.
SDGs, a set of 17 global goals adopted by the United Nations in 2015, serve as a universal call to action to end poverty, protect the planet, and ensure prosperity and peace for all by 2030.
Mr. Tindimuyaga emphasized that limited resources have hindered their progress towards achieving SDG 6 targets. Despite the fact that 72 percent of urban Ugandans and 67 percent of rural Ugandans have access to clean drinking water, many still lack safely managed water services in their homes, accounting for 17 percent of the total population and falling short of SDG 6 requirements.
When compared to other East African Community (EAC) nations, Uganda’s performance ranks the lowest at 136th out of 163 countries, with Kenya at 118th, Rwanda at 124th, and Tanzania at 130th.
Mr. Tindimuyaga called upon private sector entities and civil society organizations to collaborate with the government in order to achieve the SDG 6 targets.
