General Caleb Akandwanaho, popularly known as Salim Saleh, has challenged the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to expand its community impact by leveraging its expertise, resources and partnerships to promote value addition and improve household incomes.Gen Saleh, the Chief Coordinator of Operation Wealth Creation (OWC) and senior adviser to President Yoweri Museveni, made the call during a meeting with NWSC Managing Director Eng. Dr Silver Mugisha on Thursday. The meeting was also attended by Paul Turyamureeba Kahigi, NWSC Senior Manager for Environment and Social Safeguards.
He urged leaders of public institutions to look beyond their traditional mandates and champion initiatives capable of creating wider economic opportunities. According to Saleh, agricultural production, processing and value addition can play a major role in transforming communities from low-income livelihoods into more productive and sustainable enterprises.The retired general described such interventions as a form of corporate social investment, arguing that government institutions can use their existing capabilities and networks to support small businesses, raise household incomes and stimulate local economic activity without abandoning their core responsibilities.To illustrate the potential of value addition, Saleh pointed to Ugandan coffee enterprises such as Elgonia Coffee House, Heritage Coffee and Abbarci Coffee, which market their products under the “Sip the Pearl of Africa” slogan. He said turning agricultural produce into finished or higher-value products can enable producers to earn better returns while opening access to broader markets.Saleh also praised Kahigi for his community-focused initiatives in the various positions he has held, saying individual commitment and institutional support can work together to produce meaningful development outcomes. He encouraged public-sector leaders to embrace practical approaches that directly benefit ordinary citizens.
The meeting ended with Saleh and Mugisha agreeing to explore opportunities for integrating agricultural production and value-addition initiatives into NWSC’s broader public-service framework. The proposed approach is expected to complement the corporation’s mandate while creating additional opportunities for communities, small enterprises and rural households.The engagement follows a meeting held on August 5 in Kapeeka, Nakaseke District, where Saleh and Mugisha discussed waste-management strategies under the Organic Dark Matter initiative involving Kampala Capital City Authority, OWC and NWSC. During that engagement, Saleh also handed Mugisha a copy of his book on land organisation for national economic transformation. OWC, launched around 2013, focuses on supporting rural households to shift from subsistence to commercial agriculture, while NWSC remains responsible for providing water and sewerage services across towns in Uganda.
