‘Illegal water connection is theft’
Ugandan National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) principal legal officer Aloysious Kaijuka has said illegal water connections are theft and culprits should be given stiff punishments.
He said this during a presentation to members of Lilongwe Water Board (LWB) on a visit to Kampala in Uganda to appreciate the initiative being carried out by NWSC.
“Illegal water connections should not be treated with kid gloves and water boards need to stand up to stamp out the malpractices,” Kaijuka said, adding illegal water connections work to the disadvantage of water supplying institutions.
“If you can calculate the loss of water through such acts you will find that a lot of money is being wasted through illegal means,” he said.
Kaijuka said the awareness of communities and the involvement of the Judiciary, police and the media is crucial in the drive to reduce the acts.
Central Region Commissioner of Police John Nyondo said the visit provided an insight on how police could help water boards to curb incidences of illegal water connections.
He said police involvement in such issues is important and special officers need to be conversant with the issues in order to be effective.
“The Ugandan model of handling cases of illegal water connections seems to be comprehensive and Malawi as a country, could adapt some of the concepts and implement them fully,” Nyondo added.
