The East African Crude Oil Pipeline (EACOP) has officially handed over new and refurbished lavatory and ablution facilities at Kabagarame Market in Sembabule District, supporting improved sanitation, hygiene and community health and safety.
Kabagarame Market is an important centre of local trade, bringing together more than 500 market dwellers from 16 surrounding villages, including Kabayola, Kyemandwa A and B, Kagango, Nsambya and Kasekera. The market provides an important space where people conduct business, build livelihoods and connect with one another.
Recognising the importance of safe and accessible sanitation facilities, EACOP supported the construction and refurbishment of the facilities through its Social and Environmental Investment (SEI) and Corporate Social Responsibility initiatives.
The facility features a 10-stance drainable pit latrine block serving both men and women, with adequate ventilation, lighting and privacy. It also incorporates rainwater harvesting to support sustainable water management at the market. The intervention is aligned with EACOP’s sustainability priorities, particularly Community Health and Safety and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 6, which promotes access to clean water and sanitation for all.
Speaking during the handover, an EACOPs Stakeholder Engagement Supervisor Harry KAWEESI , said the company’s responsibility extends beyond the infrastructure being constructed along the pipeline route. “At EACOP, our responsibility goes beyond building infrastructure underground; it extends to lifting up the communities above it,” He said.
EACOP’s SEI programme is guided by five pillars: Future Generation, Environment, Community Health and Safety, Water Solutions, and Sustainable Energy. Through these pillars, the company continues to support community-centred initiatives that address identified needs across its project footprint.
In Sembabule District alone, EACOP has provided 14 water-harvesting facilities to communities in Buzirandulu, Kiteredde and Njaza. The handover of the Kabagarame Market sanitation facilities was attended by the Assistant Resident District Commissioner of Sembabule, other district officials, local leaders and members of the community. The district leadership and community members expressed their appreciation for the facilities and the additional benefits being delivered through EACOP’s community investments.
The new facilities are expected to provide a safer and more hygienic environment for market vendors, customers and other users while contributing to healthier and more productive livelihoods within the Kabagarame community.
