KAMPALA – The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has assured residents in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area that roads and other infrastructure affected by ongoing water pipeline installation works will be restored, with reinstatement activities scheduled to begin this month.
The assurance comes amid growing concerns from residents over excavations and damage to roads, walkways and other public infrastructure arising from the implementation of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) Water Supply Network Project.
In a statement, NWSC said reinstatement of all affected areas to their original condition is part of the project’s scope of work, adding that contractors and project teams had been directed to ensure that the restoration is undertaken promptly and properly.
“Reinstatement of all affected areas to their original condition is included in the project scope of work and will commence this month,” the corporation said.
NWSC noted that restoration works had already started on some sections of gravel roads where pipeline installation and testing had been completed.
The corporation said the exercise would continue in phases, with each affected section restored as soon as pipe-laying and related works are completed.
The assurance comes as NWSC implements the rehabilitation, restructuring, rezoning and extension of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area water supply network, a major infrastructure project aimed at improving water distribution and addressing persistent shortages in several communities.
According to NWSC, the project is at an advanced stage, with pipeline installation ongoing in different parts of the metropolitan area.
The project is intended to address limitations in the existing water distribution network, which have prevented the corporation from fully utilising the production capacity of the Katosi Water Treatment Plant.
The plant has the capacity to produce 160 million litres of clean water daily, but NWSC says only about half of this capacity is currently being utilised because of constraints in the distribution infrastructure.
The corporation says the new project will provide the critical infrastructure needed to transport and distribute the additional water to communities experiencing shortages.
The works involve laying 69 kilometres of transmission mains, constructing reservoirs at Kanyanya, Kabulengwa and Mutungo, and establishing booster stations at Kungu and Kabulengwa.
The project will also include upgrading the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system across major installations to improve monitoring and management of the water supply network.
Upon completion, NWSC expects the expanded network to improve water supply reliability, reduce shortages and meet growing demand in Kira, Kasangati, Namugongo, Buwaate, Bulindo, Mulawa, Gayaza, Matugga, Kawempe, Nansana, Wakiso and neighbouring communities.
The corporation estimates that the project will extend improved water services to an additional one million people and support the region’s water supply requirements up to 2040.
Although the overall project is scheduled for completion in August 2027, some sections are expected to become operational earlier.
For instance, the pipeline connecting Namugongo to Kasangati is scheduled for commissioning in January 2027, allowing residents in the targeted areas to benefit before the completion of the entire project.
NWSC acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the excavations, particularly in residential neighbourhoods and along roads, but maintained that the disruptions are necessary to install infrastructure that will improve water services in the long term.
The corporation said it was also working with municipal authorities and the Ministry of Works and Transport to coordinate the restoration of affected infrastructure and prioritise the acquisition of utility corridors to minimise future damage.
It reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that roads, verges, walkways and other affected areas are restored to their original condition or better.
The Greater Kampala water extension project is expected to play a significant role in meeting the increasing demand for clean water as the metropolitan area continues to expand.
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