National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) is seeking Shs 650 billion in finance to expand water production and improve supply in 50 towns across Uganda.
According NWSC Managing Director Dr Silver Mugisha the proposed package includes a Shs 500 billion concessionary loan from government at an annual interest rate of 2 percent and Shs 150 billion in revenue support, bringing the total proposed financing to Shs 650 billion.
The funds would be released in five equal annual tranches of Shs 130 billion between the 2027/28 and 2031/32 financial years.
Dr Silver Mugisha presented the proposal the 50 Towns Water Supply Improvement Project during a meeting with Water and Environment Minister Gen. Kahinda Otafiire at the corporation’s International Resource Centre in Bugolobi.
The 50 towns are drawn from all four NWSC regions: 14 in the Central region (UGX 202 billion, about USD 54.6 million), 14 in the Eastern region (UGX 178 billion, about USD 48.1 million), eight in the Northern region (UGX 90 billion, about USD 24.3 million) and 14 in the Western and South-Western region (UGX 180 billion, about USD 48.6 million). Allocations range from UGX 10 billion (about USD 2.7 million) for smaller towns to UGX 30 billion (about USD 8.1 million) for larger systems such as Gomba and Tororo.
According to Dr Mugisha ,NWSC has grown from 23 towns in 2013 to 293 as at 30 June 2026, serving more than 22 million people, with connections rising from 300,000 to over one million, meanwhile it turnover has further risen from UGX 120 billion to UGX 680 billion and assets from UGX 580 billion to UGX 5 trillion. He attributed the gains to cutting the cost of doing business and building systems in-house.
Gen. Otafiire, pledged government support towards the corporation’s plans to increase access to reliable water services.
Minister Otafiire urged management not leave water supply to technocrats alone.
“NWSC is proof that state institutions can perform,” Otafiire said, recalling a time when the corporation had been earmarked for privatization.
“In Africa we have intelligent people with poor management skills. I therefore urge management to keep staff with special skills motivated and retained to perform well,”he stated.
NWSC Board Chairman Prof. Henry Alinaitwe pledged strategic guidance, oversight and support to the corporation.
Representing the permanent secretary in the Ministry of Water and Environment, John Mary Vianne Twinomujuni pledged the ministry’s support for NWSC, describing it as one of its best-performing institutions, and said the ministry would guide the corporation to ensure the 50 towns
