Residents of Gasabo Village in Nyanza Cell, Kicukiro District, have now endured over a month without access to clean water. What began as a temporary disruption has evolved into a severe humanitarian concern, with families struggling daily to secure even the smallest amount of water for drinking, cooking, and sanitation.
Daily Struggles
The absence of piped water has forced households to rely on alternative—and often unsafe—sources. Some residents walk long distances to fetch water from neighboring cells, while others resort to purchasing it at inflated prices from private vendors. For many low-income families, this has become an unbearable financial burden.
Parents have voiced concerns about their children missing school in order to fetch water, while women and the elderly are most affected by the physical strain of carrying heavy containers. Basic hygiene has become a challenge, raising fears of outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
Rising Costs and Inequality
The crisis has exposed inequalities within the community. Those who can afford to buy water at high prices manage to cope, while vulnerable households are left to endure extreme hardship. Community leaders warn that if the situation persists, it could deepen existing social and economic divides.
Calls for Urgent Action
Local leaders and residents are calling on the relevant authorities and utility providers to urgently address the issue. Many are demanding transparency about the cause of the disruption, whether it is due to technical failures, infrastructure breakdowns, or water supply shortages.
The community has expressed gratitude for the resilience of its people but insists that resilience alone cannot sustain them much longer. Immediate intervention is needed to restore access to safe water and prevent the crisis from escalating into a public health emergency.
A Plea from the Community
For now, Gasabo Village remains in survival mode, navigating each day without the most basic of human needs. As the situation reaches a critical point, residents plead for quick and sustainable solutions to ensure their right to water is respected
