The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has highlighted its achievements, challenges and future priorities during a national stakeholder engagement held at its International Resource Centre in Bugolobi, as the utility provider seeks to strengthen water and sanitation services across Uganda.
The August 14 engagement brought together key stakeholders, including members of the media, for discussions on the impact of water infrastructure on communities and the country’s socio-economic transformation. The programme also included a tour of major NWSC projects within Greater Kampala.
The engagement offered an open platform for NWSC leadership to discuss the corporation’s progress while addressing concerns affecting service delivery, including increasing demand for water, sanitation gaps, infrastructure pressure and operational challenges caused by urban expansion.
NWSC Kampala General Manager Eng. Mahmood Lataaya said the rapid growth of Greater Kampala has created new demands on existing water networks, with the city expanding both horizontally and vertically, especially in the central business district.
He explained that some areas continue to face water supply challenges due to increased population growth and the need to upgrade older infrastructure. He identified parts of western Kampala and surrounding areas such as Nansana, Kawempe, Buloba, Buddo, Matugga and Kakiri among locations experiencing water stress.
Lataaya noted that although water supply coverage has improved significantly, sewerage infrastructure has not expanded at the same rate, creating challenges in providing adequate sanitation services as urban areas continue to grow.
NWSC Managing Director Eng. Dr Silver Mugisha said the corporation has set ambitious targets, including achieving 1.25 million water connections nationwide by 2030, as part of efforts to increase access to safe and reliable water.
Mugisha revealed that NWSC’s pipeline network has expanded from about 6,000 kilometres to 25,000 kilometres, with plans to reach 30,000 kilometres within five years. He added that the corporation’s service coverage has grown from 23 towns to 290 towns, with the number of people served increasing from 4.5 million to approximately 22 million.
The NWSC boss said the corporation is targeting service expansion to 25 million Ugandans while growing its asset base from about Shs580 billion to a projected Shs6.2 trillion, reflecting the institution’s long-term investment plans.
He also emphasised the importance of innovation, saying NWSC has increasingly relied on its internal technical teams to design projects and develop digital systems, reducing dependence on external consultants and improving efficiency.
Mugisha further disclosed that NWSC had changed its approach to managing risks after determining that traditional insurance arrangements were costly compared to the value of claims received, leading to the establishment of an internal risk management system.
The stakeholder engagement provided insight into NWSC’s efforts to balance rapid urban growth with the need for reliable water supply and improved sanitation, as the corporation continues working towards expanding services across Uganda.
