The hard-hitting water outage within Makerere University entered its third day this morning. The proverbial Harvard of Africa is bordering on a crisis. The loos lie unflushed, residents have used up the little water hoarded in the safety of yellow 20 litre jerrycans. They now are desperate, angry. Angrily desperate.
Last night a few scattered strike chants littered the skies. University students often strike to in response to the slightest grievance! They however are doing their end of semester examinations. It would be profoundly unwise to engage in “subversive activities.”
Piles of clothes lie in a heap; unwashed in Africa hall. A rather disturbing sight rises to meet you in the lavatories! The taps are dry, the corridors are unmopped.
“Our posho was half-cooked, when I returned to my room and tried to boil tea as a supplement to my supper, I was greeted by the hissing sound of an empty tap.” Laments Boca, a Livingstone hall resident.
“We need water.” he adds.
At Mitchell hall, the land of gallant rats is evidently unwashed. A sinister odour rises and lingers. There isn’t water.
The taps ceased flowing on Saturday night. A few droplets made their way into eager buckets on Sunday morning.
At Livingstone, the interior Minister Muramuzi Robert and the Warden summoned a water truck that distributed water into small reservoir tanks to avert the crisis. They blame National Water and Sewerage Corporation for taking too long to work on their distribution system. The greatest part of university is shut down. All halls are nursing acute water crises not even staff quarters have been spared.
The little water left in staff quarters reservoir tanks was raided this morning by desperate students. Majority remain unwashed. There was a scramble for water when the water tank came in. Desperation evident on the faces of the students.
“We are at a risk, piles upon piles of excretion are in the loos! What do you expect students to do, go to the bushes?! We need help desperately!” remarks, Okot Robert; the LC1 Livingstone hall in a WhatsApp correspondence shared with this reporter.
Sanity meanwhile is holding ground, question is for how long before calamity strikes?
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