NWSC announces plans to end Kampala water shortages.

By Chris Mugasha

KAMPALA: Authorities of National Water and Sewarage Corporation (NWSC) have disclosed a plan to end the persistent water shortages in parts of the Greater Kampala.

According to the authorities by August 2027 when the major upgrades to the water distribution network are completed, the water shortages will be history.

The NWSC managing Director Dr. Eng Silver Mugisha said the corporation currently has sufficient capacity to produce water but the existing old systems especially the undersized pipes have limited its ability to deliver adequate supplies to some areas.

Mugisha was recently appearing before parliament’s committee on commissions, statutory authorities and state enterprises (COSASE). Mugisha alongside other officials had appeared to respond to the Auditor General’s queries for the period ending June 2025.

“Currently our efforts are being bogged down by the pipes that evacuate water from the reservoirs to customers because they do not have adequate capacity,” Mugisha told the MPs on the committee.

According to the MD, the problem mainly affects areas such as Kawempe, Matugga, Nsangi, Kyengera and Kyadondo.

Mugisha further explained that rapid population growth in the above areas has overwhelmed the existing distribution infrastructure.

He said NWSC is implementing a major distribution improvement project to increase the capacity of the network and ensure water produced at the Katosi Water Treatment Plant reaches consumers.

“The project involves installation of bigger transmission pipelines and constructing new storage facilities, including reservoirs at Kaburengwa and Kanyanya hill,” he explained.

“You must have noticed a number of activities especially installation of bigger pipes taking place,” Mugisha said adding that, “a tank is being put up at Kaburengwa in Wakiso town council and another one at Kanyanya Hill.”

He noted that all the above activities are aiming at evacuating water which is being produced from Katosi to make sure that it benefits people.

The Kampala area water general manager Mahmood Lutaaya assured the committee stressing that, “NWSC’s treatment plants are currently producing enough water to meet the demand.”

NWSC at the National level

THE NWSC FIVE YEAR STRATEGIC PLAN (2025 – 2030)

With the expansion of the country’s cities, municipalities, and towns,the Corporation has developed a Five-Year Strategic Plan (2025/26–2029/30) in compliance with Regulation 18 of the National Planning Authority (NPA) Development Plan Regulations (2018). The strategic plan is a roadmap crafted to advance the mission of delivering sustainable water and sewerage services to Ugandans.

The NWSC journey over the past few decades has been one of remarkable growth and resilience; from serving just three urban centers in 1972, NWSC now provides water to over 20 million people in 287 urban centers, with plans to reach 26 million people by 2030. The Strategic Plan (2025-2030) builds on this foundation, addressing critical challenges such as rapid urbanization, climate change impacts, and non-revenue water, while embracing opportunities to enhance service delivery and operational efficiency.

The NWSC Strategic Plan 2025–2030 is anchored on the NWSC Vision: “Water for All, for Health, and Prosperity”. The corporation’s mission: “To provide reliable, safe, and sustainable water and sewerage services for all while empowering lives, protecting the environment, and building a healthier future generation”. It builds on the achievements of the previous Strategic Plan and a comprehensive assessment of the emerging trends influencing service delivery.  

The NWSC’s 2025–2030 Strategic Plan sets out a bold roadmap: one that balances infrastructure expansion, customer service, and environmental stewardship.The strategic plan recognizes the pressures of rapid urbanization, climate change, and financial sustainability, and positions NWSC as a key player in achieving Uganda’s Vision 2040, NRM Manifesto undertakings, and the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

At the core of the strategic plan are five clear objectives adapted from the NDPIV, that is:

• Water for all: Extending piped water by rehabilitating, upgrading, and developing water and sewerage infrastructure to enhance access, reliability, and quality of services.
• Environmental Protection: Compliance with national quality standards through the implementation of sustainable water supply and wastewater management practices.
• Operational Efficiency: Strengthening institutional capacity to consistently and efficiently deliver the NWSC mandate and respond to emergencies and disruptions.
• Customer Focus: Building customer satisfaction, stakeholder and community engagement through adaptive, responsive and quality service.
• Financial sustainability: Ensuringthe financial viability and sustainability of the Corporation through effective utilization of the financial resources to provide satisfactory and equitable water and sanitation services.

To measure achievement toward the above objectives, the Corporation has developed primary key targets as the core measures of overall success.

The figure below demonstrates some of the keytargets for the strategic plan period 2025 – 2030

NWSC’s 2030 performance targets demonstrate a bold commitment to transforming access to water and sewerage services across Uganda. Serving a population of 26 million, the corporation aims to expand its water connections to 1.3 million households, ensuring more communities enjoy reliable and safe water. With an ambitious annual turnover target of UGX 768 billion, NWSC is focused on financial sustainability to support ongoing infrastructure investments and operational excellence.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LAST FIVE YEARS (2021 – 2025)

Over the period 2021-2025, NWSC recorded substantial improvement in service delivery, marked by the expansion of water and sewerage infrastructure, increased service coverage and customer base, as well as notable financial growth.

Below are highlights of key achievements

NWSC Performance in selected KPIs for the FY 2019/20 – 2024/25