The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) on Friday, August 14, 2026, held a roundtable discussion at the NWSC International Resource Centre (IREC) to examine the delivery of quality water and sanitation services in Uganda, with particular focus on the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Figures presented during the discussion highlighted the rapid transformation of Uganda’s urban centres as population growth and infrastructure development continue to reshape demand for water and sanitation services.
While the figures point to significant progress, they also underline the growing pressure on water systems that were designed for much smaller populations.
Kampala’s daily water demand is estimated at about 300,000 cubic metres. Gaba Water Works produces about 240,000 cubic metres per day, while Katosi contributes another 160,000 cubic metres.
On paper, the figures appear reassuring. Yet the reality on the ground remains challenging, with some neighbourhoods still experiencing intermittent supply and dry taps.
Kampala’s piped water network dates back to around 1930, when the city had a population of only about 30,000 to 50,000 people. Today, Kampala and its wider metropolitan area have grown into a population centre of roughly five million people.
Over the past two decades, urban expansion has pushed the water network into areas that were once rural or sparsely populated. New homes, businesses, factories and institutions have emerged almost continuously, driving demand for reliable water services.
Between 2005 and 2026, the population served by NWSC increased from about 2.13 million to 4.31 million. Water connections grew from fewer than 75,000 to almost 500,000, while the pipe network expanded to more than 4,250 kilometres. Monthly revenue collections also rose from approximately Shs3.43 billion to Shs35.77 billion.
At the national level, figures presented by NWSC showed that customer connections have increased from about 300,000 to more than 1.06 million, while the water network has expanded from approximately 6,000 kilometres to 25,000 kilometres.
The number of towns served has also risen sharply, from about 23 to 290, while the population receiving water services has grown from approximately 4.5 million to 22 million Ugandans.
Twenty-two million people represents a significant expansion in coverage. It translates into millions of households, businesses and institutions that now depend on a much larger water system.
Behind this expansion is also the growth of the Corporation’s financial and asset base. Annual operating surplus before depreciation has increased from Shs40 billion to Shs197 billion, subject to external audit verification, while assets under management grew from approximately Shs580 billion to Shs5 trillion.
However, a larger network means more pipes to maintain, more pumping systems to operate, more customers to serve and greater pressure to keep services affordable.
Efficiency, therefore, can no longer be treated as merely an administrative preference; it is essential to the sustainability of the water utility.
It is one thing to extend a water pipe into a new community. It is another to ensure that water continues to flow reliably years later, that the network remains financially sustainable and that customers can access the service at a reasonable cost.
NWSC has consequently pursued several internal reforms, including greater use of its own technical teams for construction and maintenance.
The force-account approach enables the Corporation to undertake selected works internally rather than relying entirely on external contractors. This gives NWSC greater control over technical knowledge, can reduce costs on some projects and allows the Corporation to respond more quickly when infrastructure requires attention.
Digital systems have also been introduced or strengthened in areas such as procurement, billing, revenue collection, financial management, human resources and water-quality monitoring.
The E-Payment and Billing System, E-Procurement and Financial Accounting System, Human Resource Management System and Water Quality Management System are among the systems highlighted by NWSC Managing Director Dr Silver Mugisha in his key message.
He noted that such systems may not attract the same attention as a new treatment plant or kilometres of newly laid pipes, but they remain important because better information supports better decision-making, which ultimately improves service delivery.
Rather than depending entirely on external consultants, NWSC has also strengthened its internal capacity to design, supervise and manage major infrastructure projects.
These include water treatment facilities, regional water supply systems, sewerage projects and network extensions. The portfolio includes projects in Lira, Kapchorwa, Kabale, Soroti, Hoima, Kumi, Bushenyi and Kanungu, among others, alongside major projects in Kampala and the wider metropolitan area.
The Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project includes major network restructuring, with about 70 kilometres of network works forming part of the intervention.
Stabilisation programmes are also targeting areas experiencing supply challenges, including Kololo and Mbalala Industrial Park, while other planned interventions are aimed at dry zones such as Kulambiro, Lubya, Maya and Nalumunye.
Another major intervention is the Wakiso West Water and Sanitation Project, which is expected to strengthen services in the rapidly developing southern and western corridors of the metropolitan area.
With support from Denmark’s Impact Fund (IFDK), the project is expected to include dedicated water and faecal sludge treatment facilities.
These projects illustrate the changing nature of Kampala. The city is no longer expanding in a neat or predictable direction. Development is spreading outward, and water infrastructure has to keep pace.
NWSC continues to operate a social-equity tariff structure intended to keep basic water services within reach of lower-income households. Public standpipe water remains priced at about Shs25 for a 20-litre jerrycan, while higher commercial tariffs help cross-subsidise the cost of providing services.
A water utility has to remain financially healthy, but water is also a basic necessity. The challenge is finding a model that allows the Corporation to invest, maintain infrastructure and expand services without making water unaffordable for ordinary households.
There are still parts of Kampala and other urban centres where residents experience unreliable supply. Some networks are old, some areas have grown faster than infrastructure, while climate-related pressures are adding another layer of uncertainty.
NWSC is responding through active water supply stabilisation programmes being implemented in several towns to improve distribution networks, upgrade pumping capacity and address service challenges, including those associated with dry conditions.
The Corporation has also placed greater emphasis on governance, accountability and financial controls, including audits and reviews of major programmes.
A preparedness project, for example, underwent scrutiny covering procurement and disposal processes during the 2020/2021 financial year, with recommendations made regarding financial management.
Uganda has made significant progress in expanding access to water, but the challenge ahead could be even greater than the one already faced.
Kampala is spreading, industrial activity is increasing and climate pressures are becoming harder to ignore. All this is happening while households expect something that sounds simple but is, in reality, incredibly difficult to guarantee: turning on the tap and finding water.
NWSC’s story over the past two decades suggests that the Corporation has the capacity to respond. Its figures show a utility that has expanded its customer base, network, finances, engineering capacity and geographical reach on a remarkable scale.
The next test, however, will not simply be how far the network can expand, but whether that expansion can keep pace with Kampala’s thirst while delivering reliable, affordable and sustainable water services to a rapidly growing population.
The post NWSC at a Turning Point: A Decade of Expansion, Reform and Kampala’s Growing Thirst appeared first on Watchdog Uganda.