Community Project Financing and Sustainable Management of Rural Water Sources in Kasese District, Uganda

Murongo Esau, Edaku Charles & Solomon Muchwa Asiimwe
Nkumba University, Uganda
Email: emurongo@gmail.com

Abstract: This study was about community project financing and sustainable management of rural water sources in Kasese District, Uganda. This study used Embedded Mixed methods by collecting quantitative & qualitative data. The total sample was 398 with a response rate of 99.5%. The questionnaire, interview guide and focus group discussion guide were data collection instruments. Findings indicated a correlation coefficient of 0.658 which meant a strong positive relationship between community project financing and sustainable management of rural water sources with a p-value of 0.000. The regression results showed a coefficient of 0.719 which implied a strong positive relationship between community project financing and sustainable management of rural water sources. It was concluded that project financing was crucial for sustainable management of rural water sources in Uganda. It was also concluded that communities that successfully raised funds, whether through user fees, government support, or contributions from Civil Society Organizations, led to great improvement in the long-term functionality of water sources compared to underfunded ones. It was recommended that the government should review annual budgetary allocation to cater for operation and maintenance aspects for the sustainable management of rural water sources. Further, the Ministry of water and environment should review the allocation of funds between new sources, rehabilitation and software with more funding being allocated to rehabilitation of rural water sources. It was recommended that microfinance options, subsidies, and partnerships with development organizations be promoted to bridge the financial gaps that hinder maintenance efforts of rural water sources.