UGANDA, Masaka | Real Muloodi News | Reports of vandalism and theft of water metres have been on the rise in Kampala City since the start of this year.
Many city dwellers, particularly in the Nakawa, Rubaga, and Makindye divisions, have reported the theft of their water metres. According to the victims, the thieves usually carry out the vandalism between 2:00 am and 4:00 am when the owners are asleep.
Habibah Nabukenya, a businesswoman residing in Kitebi, Rubaga division, says she lost her water meter two weeks ago. In the same area, Nabukenya reports that more than 10 homes were targeted and their metres taken.
The police have confirmed that the theft of water metres has gone up, and they are advising homeowners to be vigilant.
Luke Owoyesigyire, the deputy Police Spokesperson, Kampala Metropolitan, says that last year in Gulu District, over 1,000 water metres were stolen. In Luweero District, about 200 were vandalised.
“We advise those managing apartments or residentials, to be vigilant, through community Policing,” explains Luke Owoyesigyire.
He also highlights that thieves first break the water pipes before vandalising them, indicating that the vandalism might be more extensive than just the metres.
To address this issue, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has launched a program called WALOPU in collaboration with the police. The program involves water field officers accompanying the police to arrest the perpetrators of water infrastructure vandalism.
How Owners can Protect Water Metres
Samuel Apedel, the NWSC senior manager of public relations, says to safeguard their water metres, homeowners can build brick chambers around them to protect them from vandalism. However, he adds that it is important that the metres are still accessible to the field officers who come to read them.
The chambers should be made with strong materials such as cement, sand, and bricks to make them difficult to break, he says.
Additionally, construction expert Godfrey Ssempugu advises adding a metallic sheet and a sturdy padlock to secure the chamber, making it extremely difficult for thieves to vandalise the water pipes.
The cost of labour for constructing the chambers depends on the agreement between the homeowner and the builder. Protecting the water meters is important to avoid extra costs in replacing stolen or vandalised meters.
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