By Chris Mugasha
Lake Kakyera is a shallow lake found in Mid South Western Uganda in Kirihura District.
It is one of the little known water bodies in the Country!
Known for its rich fish and bird species, L. Kakyera is one of the unmissable places for travelers exploring L. Mburo National park in Western Uganda.
Much as it had been left to be enjoyed by the pastolists’ livestock/cows, wild animals in the park and the tourists’ boat cruising, the lake has not been playing its critical role of serving the people hence leaving people thirsty amidst L. Kakyera!
It was until recently when National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) tapped the Lake’s potential.
“NWSC found people in the districts of Kiruhura, Lyantonde and the neighboring areas struggling with insufficient water sources yet L. Kakyera was/has been in place for years and years lying underutilized,” said Paul Kahiigi the NWSC Principal Public Relations Officer for Western region.
Indeed, people neighboring this lake have come to realize its importance of recent after NWSC’s interventions of pumping its water to taps and then to people’s homes.
“We did not know the use of this lake not until when NWSC came and tapped its potential,” said Rubongoya a resident. Rubongoya added, “It’s now one of the rich resources which we cannot let it go. We will have to protect it.” He commended the NWSC leadership led by the Managing Director Dr. Eng Silver Mugisha for making use of L. Kakyera.
Rubongoya appeals to NWSC to fight the bad activities like digging around the lake, grazing cows around the lake and soil erosion.
“There are people who are growing tomatoes around the lake buffer and they spray their tomatoes gardens with chemicals/herbicides which end up into our water,” Rubongoya explained adding that, “we would like to appeal to NWSC to help farmers by putting in place water troughs so that their cows don’t drink directly from the lake because when they go in water, the cows contaminate water and also cause silting.”
Another resident petitioned NWSC to develop a sustainable plan of making sure that the lake doesn’t dry out. “We are worried because this lake doesn’t have any inlet or tributary that brings in water and therefore if NWSC doesn’t intervene, soon or later the pipes may run dry and we go back to zero,” the resident said.
Lake Kakyera is a shallow lake in Lake Mburo National Park, Uganda. The lake is known for its diverse fish and bird species. In 1997, the El Niño event caused Lake Kakyera to lose most of its water to Lake Victoria. End.
