Ambassador Rebecca Amuge Otengo

Govt launches Shs694b water project to serve over 1 million in Kyengera, Wakiso, Kajjansi and Mpigi KAMPALA — The Government of Uganda, through National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), has launched a Shs694 billion (€145 million) project to supply water from Lake Victoria to more than 1 million people in the fast-growing areas south and west of Kampala, where many households currently receive water only on rationed days. The Wakiso West Water and Sanitation Project will draw water from the lake at Bwerenga to serve Kyengera, Nsangi, Kajjansi, Kasanje, Kiringente, Wakiso Town Council and Mpigi Town Council. It will also cover the Entebbe Road corridor and the areas between Entebbe, Masaka and Mityana roads. About 160,000 of the beneficiaries live in informal settlements. NWSC on Tuesday signed a consultancy contract for the project worth about Shs47.5 billion (€9.48 million plus Shs2.15 billion, excluding taxes). It went to a joint venture of Danish firm NIRAS A/S and German engineering firm Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG, with Ugandan firms M&E Associates Ltd and Alliance Consultants Ltd as sub-consultants. The consultants will design the works, prepare tender documents and supervise construction. "Upon completion, the project is expected to provide over 1 million people with uninterrupted access to safe, reliable drinking water," NWSC Managing Director Dr Silver Mugisha said. The project addresses one of the most pressing gaps in the metropolitan area's water supply. Kampala's two main treatment plants, Ggaba and Katosi, are on the eastern side of the city, so water must travel long distances through an ageing network to reach the western suburbs, which have expanded rapidly over the past two decades. Areas served by the Ggaba system, including Kyengera, Mutundwe, Lubowa, Buziga and Munyonyo, have experienced intermittent supply as demand has grown, and the most affected areas are on rationing. In August, Kyengera residents told NTV Uganda they were buying water from wells at Shs1,000 to Shs2,000 a jerrycan. The 2024 national census put the combined population of Kampala and Wakiso above 5.2 million, with Wakiso now the most populous district in the country. "The demand for water in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Service Area is growing every day, and customers need answers," Dr Mugisha said in September. The Bwerenga plant will treat 62.5 million litres of water a day, and its intake will be able to draw up to 200 million litres a day. Water will be carried through 94.2 kilometres of transmission pipes and 78.5 kilometres of secondary pipes to five reservoirs at Kaga, Nsangi, Nanziga, Mpigi and Bukasa, with a combined capacity of more than 15.25 million litres. Pumping stations will be built at Buloba, Katende, Maya and Ssekiwunga, and the distribution network will cover 4,300 hectares. In informal settlements, 941 community water dispensers and yard taps with electronic prepaid meters will be installed in the parishes of Kimbejja, Katereke, Kisozi/Kitemu, Nsangi, Kasenge, Kikajjo, Bweya, Kitende, Namulanda, Nkungulutale, Kafumu, Kikonkoma, Lwanga, Bumoozi, Kakoola, Kavule, Maziba, Ssisa and Wamala. "Recognising the importance of inclusive access to essential services, the project will establish 941 community water dispensers in informal settlements," Dr Mugisha said. "These interventions are intended to make safe water more accessible and affordable, particularly for underserved communities." The project also includes a faecal sludge treatment plant on Ssekiwunga Road in Kajjansi, with capacity to handle at least 400,000 litres a day. Solar panels generating at least 2,945 kilowatts will be installed at selected sites. "The facility will help address challenges associated with indiscriminate faecal sludge disposal, reduce the risk of contamination of surface and groundwater resources, and minimise public health risks arising from inadequate sanitation," @NWSCMD said.