WATER SECTOR DEBATE! NWSC Boss Mugisha Pushes for Independent Regulation at Global Water Congress
Uganda’s National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has taken its expertise to the global stage, with Managing Director Dr Silver Mugisha making a strong case for effective water regulation and sustainable service delivery at the IWA World Water Congress in Glasgow, Scotland.
Mugisha, who represented Uganda at the prestigious international gathering, challenged African countries to embrace independent regulation of water utilities while avoiding the burden of establishing expensive institutions that lack genuine independence.
The NWSC boss emphasised that effective regulation is critical to ensuring accountability, fairness and improved performance in the water sector, arguing that the focus should be on meaningful oversight rather than simply creating regulatory bodies.
“Independent regulation is good. You don’t want to operate without somebody checking,” Mugisha said, underlining the importance of having systems that monitor water utilities and ensure they deliver on their mandate.
He, however, cautioned that regulation remains a complex issue for many African countries, especially where costly institutions fail to exercise genuine independence.
“It is a very, very problematic area,” he said, highlighting the need for African governments to adopt practical regulatory models suited to their circumstances.
Mugisha’s contribution placed Uganda’s water sector experience at the centre of an international conversation on how countries can strengthen oversight, improve service delivery and ensure that water utilities remain accountable to the communities they serve.
The discussions brought together leading water-sector experts from different parts of the world, with panelists offering perspectives on regulatory independence, government priorities, tariffs and institutional efficiency.
Ximena Quiroz Pita of LIS-Water stressed that regulatory independence was non-negotiable, while the Chief Executive Officer of Malaysia’s Air Selangor noted that regulators are appointed by governments and must operate within broader national policy priorities.
The Malaysian perspective also highlighted the role of government subsidies where tariff adjustments are necessary, but affordability concerns make increases difficult.
Speakers from the United Kingdom, meanwhile, discussed challenges arising from overlapping regulatory mandates, including proposals to merge England and Wales’ four water regulators into a single institution.
The debate reinforced Mugisha’s argument that effective regulation must go beyond the creation of institutions to focus on genuine accountability, fairness and measurable results.
Beyond regulation, the NWSC chief called for a more integrated approach to water management, bringing together water for production, energy generation and drinking water supply.
He argued that treating these needs as interconnected priorities would help countries develop more holistic solutions to water security and improve the sustainability of supply systems.
Mugisha’s participation at the congress showcased Uganda’s contribution to global discussions on the future of water management, with NWSC bringing forward ideas on how African utilities can strengthen performance without imposing unnecessary institutional costs.
The engagement also highlighted the importance of sharing experiences across countries as governments and water utilities search for practical ways to expand access, improve efficiency and safeguard water resources for future generations.
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