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By Hassan Anguyo Arua City Residents of Adriko cell Kenya ward in Arua city are living in fear over the rampant open defecation and garbage dumping by unknown people anticipating threats of outbreak of infectious diseases in the area in the near future. Over t
By Hassan Anguyo
Arua City
Residents of Adriko cell Kenya ward in Arua city are living in fear over the rampant open defecation and garbage dumping by unknown people anticipating threats of outbreak of infectious diseases in the area in the near future.
Over the year, the current Arua central division had been known for the outbreak of cholera with the then Oli division as the epicenter due to poor sanitation and hygiene resulting from low latrine coverage.
Leila Zahara a resident of Adriko cell lamented that the looming open defecation and garbage in the area is burdening them to treat diarrhea especially among children. “Here in Adriko we have a lot of challenges where putting rubbish is very difficult for us, the area is not safe. There’s only one toilet but people are not cleaning it and it’s very dirty. Even at times you give your baby medicine but diarhoea is very common in our area here”
Observation by Radio Pacis indicated that the areas along ojio road and Arua city special economic zone are full of black polythene bags suspected to be of human fecal mass.
Saidi Kapere the local council one chairperson of Adriko cell admitted the poor hygiene in the area blaming the road users for dumping in the area. “People come from town, they carry kavera and you think the person is going but can just leave the kavera on the road. Even others are faeces”
According to the records from Arua city health department as of March 2025, of the open defecation, 75 percent of the people who seek medical services at various health centers in the city suffer from illnesses linked to poor sanitation and hygiene caused by open defecation.
Gadhafi Ochile the village Health Team VHT of Adriko cell on contrary suspected that the open defecation in the area is by the people without toilets. “People have toilets with an exception of few counted people who do not have, so we suspect these are the people who might be throwing faeces with polythene bags everywhere around here”
Currently, 25 percent of the households in Arua City practice open defecation, putting the lives of many at risk of contracting poor sanitation-related infections.