By Marx Itamalo

Residents of Omusabwa location in the Helao Nafidi town have expressed dismay with the town council for the delay in the supply of electricity to their location, two years after the installation of power systems.
The community members aired their views during a meeting with the town's mayor Darius Shaalukeni recently. Residents claim that they were promised electricity in 2022. “That did not happen. It is about three years now and we have been waiting up to now. Other locations that were serviced after ours are all electrified. But our location is in the dark,” seethed resident Jefta Shigwedha. 
Another resident Maria Ndemuweda fumed that the majority of houses do not have meters installed. 
 

“We are totally in the dark about this whole electricity thing. Some houses have meters while others do not have, although they are connected to the power lines. How can this be possible? We need an explanation,” Ndemuweda said.
Meanwhile, the residents also complained about the lack of toilets, noting that as low-income earners, they cannot afford to build their own toilets and thus implored the town council to build them public restrooms.
 

“If we live in shacks how do you expect us to build our own toilets? We are unemployed and do not have money. Right now, if nature calls we have to go to the bush and you can just imagine how it can be there,” explained another resident Naftal Namundjebo.
“Adults and children have to visit the same bushes even at the same time and it does not show a good image. The efundja (floods) even made the situation worse because the bushes were all under water,” he added. 
Namundjebo requested the council to build them at least five pit latrines.
In response, Shaalukeni maintained that the Helao Nafidi town council was aware of the residents’ predicament regarding electricity and said the delay is due to a lack of funds.
 

“The funds got depleted and we had to wait for the line ministry to avail funds again. It is not that we did not want to complete the project by will. Now I can assure [them] that the contractor will come back and complete the job so that [they] will have power like all the other locations,” Shaalukeni stated.
 

He indicated that council will discuss the proposed pit latrines.
“If there are funds available, they will be used to construct latrines for all the locations since none have such toilets and they are in the same situation. Maybe a few toilets in each location,” he added.