MP Drills Boreholes Using Personal Salary, Urges Leaders to Act Independently

Otuke, Uganda – In a move that has drawn widespread praise from residents, the Member of Parliament for Otuke East County, Julius Acon Bua, has launched a Shs75 million initiative to drill three boreholes across the district, using his personal salary to address the acute shortage of clean water.

The drilling exercise began on Sunday, August 2, at Barapua Village in Atira Parish, Ogwette Sub-county, and will extend to Okwalonym Village in Omwonyolee Parish, Ogor Sub-county, before concluding on August 4 at Acke Village in Okwongo Town Council. Each borehole costs approximately Shs25 million.

Acon, who has been financing similar projects since his election to Parliament, said leaders should not wait for government-funded programmes to respond to community needs.

“Prolonged weather changes have worsened poverty levels and left many families struggling to access safe water, increasing the risk of waterborne diseases,” Acon told reporters. “Those with the means should take the initiative to make a difference.”

The MP urged residents to protect the boreholes by fencing them and forming management committees to oversee their maintenance, emphasizing that the high cost of drilling requires community ownership to ensure sustainability for future generations.

Residents have hailed Acon as a “leader who listens,” saying the intervention has ended years of trekking long distances in search of water.

Acon pledged to expand the initiative to other villages in Otuke East County facing similar challenges, describing access to clean water as a basic necessity that every household deserves.