DRY TAPS ON NOTICE! NWSC rolls out six-month Kampala water rescue plan
By Evans Najuna
KAMPALA — The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has launched a six-month accelerated water supply programme aimed at ending intermittent water supply and improving access to reliable water for thousands of households across Greater Kampala.
Dubbed the Kampala Water Forward-Looking and Optimisation of Water Supply (K-Flows), the programme is designed to address persistent water shortages affecting customers who receive water for only a few hours a day, despite the city’s treatment plants having sufficient production capacity.
Launched on Thursday evening, at the International Resource Centre in Bugolobi, the initiative will run from November 2026 to April 2027, covering Kampala City and the serviced areas of Wakiso and Mukono districts.
The programme follows strategic guidance issued by the Minister of Water and Environment in October, directing NWSC to prioritise water supply reliability, customer satisfaction and operational efficiency.
Speaking at the launch, NWSC Managing Director Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha said the corporation’s biggest challenge was no longer producing enough water but ensuring that the available water reaches consumers consistently.
According to NWSC’s October 2026 Water Supply Reliability Assessment, some customers in Greater Kampala receive water for fewer than 12 hours daily, while others endure supplies lasting less than six hours.
Mugisha explained that the problem largely stems from distribution and transmission constraints, including limited bulk water infrastructure, pumping and storage bottlenecks, undersized pipelines, leakages and disruptions caused by ongoing road construction works.
“Our challenge is not simply to produce more water, but to ensure that the water within our systems reaches customers reliably, equitably and sustainably,” Mugisha said.
He added that the programme would change how the corporation measures performance, shifting emphasis from infrastructure constructed and money spent to the actual number of hours customers receive water.
“It is not about pipes laid or money spent. It is about how many hours of water our customers actually receive, at the right pressure, every day. Our commitment is clear: from water availability to water reliability,” he said.
Mugisha challenged Kampala Water staff to approach the programme with renewed energy, urgency and accountability, invoking the Kisanja Hakuna Kulara (No Sleep Term) and No Corruption message he pledged to uphold upon taking office for his current term.
He said the commitment carried serious expectations and required NWSC employees to demonstrate results rather than merely make promises.
“By the time someone comes out with Kisanja Hakuna Kulara, No Sleep, No Corruption, he is addressing serious issues,” Mugisha said.
He described it as unfortunate that residents in a city with adequate water production capacity could still go for fewer than six hours without reliable water supply.
“Therefore, let’s approach our customer service with renewed energy, with business unusual,” he urged.
The Managing Director emphasised that the ultimate measure of success should be the impact of water and sewerage services on people’s lives and economic activities.
He explained that bringing water closer to households reduces the distance residents travel to fetch it, saves valuable time and allows families to concentrate on productive activities.
Using poultry farming as an example, Mugisha observed that someone running a poultry business could spend considerable time searching for water instead of concentrating on growing the enterprise if there was no reliable supply at home.
He argued that reliable water supply was therefore not merely a convenience but a critical driver of household productivity, business growth and national development.
Under K-Flows, NWSC will implement two complementary workstreams: Bulk Water Supply Augmentation and Water Distribution Network Optimisation.
The bulk water augmentation component will increase the volume of water reaching supply-constrained communities through bulk transfers, network interconnections, pumping upgrades, new boreholes and targeted pipeline extensions.
The distribution optimisation component will address local network challenges through pipeline reinforcement, rezoning, pressure management, valve repairs and leakage reduction. These interventions are expected to make approximately 9,370 cubic metres of water per day available for distribution.
The corporation has structured the programme into three priority tiers, with quick-win interventions expected within the first 60 days, six-month priority projects to be commissioned and verified by April 2027, and larger strategic investments progressing through design, land acquisition, approvals and financing.
Among the immediate interventions are the Katosi–Mutungo Water Supply Stabilisation Project and the Ggaba III–Muyenga Bypass, both expected to be completed by December 2026.
Together, the two projects are projected to stabilise water supply for approximately 26,842 customer accounts in areas including Rubaga, Lungujja, Makindye, Nateete, Busega, Bulenga, Kakiri and Nansana.
Other six-month interventions include new boreholes and local supply schemes targeting Kikokiro, Kitagobwa, Bukasa, Mengo, Kasenge, Kazinga, Maya, Namungoona and Nalumunye. Most of these projects are designed to deliver at least 18 hours of water supply daily.
The broader ambition is to raise every customer currently receiving water for fewer than 12 hours to at least 12 hours daily, with 18 to 24 hours or continuous supply targeted wherever technically feasible, without compromising service in areas already enjoying reliable supply.
K-Flows will also complement NWSC’s larger Package 2B infrastructure investment, which involves approximately 71 kilometres of primary transmission mains, construction of reservoirs at Kanyanya, Kabulengwa and Mutungo, and booster stations at Kungu and Kabulengwa.
Package 2B is expected to be completed in August 2027. While the larger infrastructure project is being implemented, K-Flows is expected to provide earlier relief to affected communities and strengthen local distribution networks to accommodate additional water once Package 2B comes into operation.
Kampala Water General Manager Eng. Mahmood Lutaaya said every intervention under the accelerated programme would be tied to a specific community, an identified supply challenge and an officer responsible for delivering measurable results.
He said the programme would be guided by four key principles: urgency, transparency, accountability and impact.
“Every project under the service acceleration programme is tied to a specific problem, a specific community and a specific officer who answers for it,” Lutaaya said.
He added that customers would be informed before works begin, kept updated throughout implementation and consulted afterwards to establish whether their water supply had actually improved.
Complaints, he said, would only be considered resolved after physical service checks.
NWSC will use branch outreach programmes, stakeholder clubs, community barazas, digital platforms and its call centre to communicate planned works and possible service interruptions.
Mugisha further reminded NWSC employees that socio-economic transformation remains one of the key pillars of the National Resistance Movement (NRM) government, noting that the corporation has a critical responsibility in advancing this national agenda.
He challenged staff to become among the strongest contributors to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation by delivering efficient, reliable and responsive water and sewerage services.
He also highlighted the priorities emphasised by the Minister of Water and Environment, including water supply reliability, customer satisfaction, staff satisfaction, operational efficiency, prudent energy utilisation, transparency, accountability and effectiveness.
He maintained that eliminating corruption and improving institutional performance must go hand in hand with delivering better services to the public.
NWSC management expressed confidence that the quick-fix interventions would improve water supply reliability, reduce the inconvenience caused by intermittent supply and bring greater comfort to customers across Greater Kampala.
The corporation reiterated its commitment to its vision of Water for All, for Health and Prosperity, promising to place customer experience and measurable service delivery at the centre of its operations.
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