The National Water and Sewerage Corporation has launched an 8.2 trillion shilling investment plan to expand safe water access across the country, with a goal of serving millions more people by 2030.
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) is Uganda’s government-owned public utility, established in 1972. It is responsible for providing reliable, safe water and sewerage services to urban centers across the country, serving approximately 21 million people in over 280 towns.
Dr Silver Mugisha, National Water National and Sewerage Corporation’s Executive Director, sayss the sh 6.8 trillion have already been secured for the five-year initiative adding that the utility now seeks an additional 1.4 trillion from the government and development partners to close the funding gap.
Under the 2025-2030 strategic plan, the corporation intends to increase water connections from 1.04 million to 1.29 million. Officials expect the expansion to raise the population served from 20 million to 26 million people.
Anna Nyadoi, Principal Economist for Corporate Strategy and Business Financing, said the utility plans to install at least 60,000 new connections and extend 500 kilometers of pipeline annually. The project also aims to provide safe water points to 15,000 villages.
The new targets follow a period of significant growth. Since 2017, the water network has nearly doubled from 12,264 kilometers to 23,995 kilometers. National water coverage has improved from 50% to 82% during the last five years, according to agency data.
Despite these gains, local leaders highlighted significant regional disparities. In areas with utility connections, a 20-liter jerrycan costs about 50 shillings. However, in underserved areas like Kyenjojo district, residents may pay up to 1,000 shillings.
Gilbert Rubaihayo, the Kyenjojo district chairperson, said the lack of affordable access forces some residents to share pond water with livestock, leading to outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
The corporation also faces ongoing operational hurdles. Non-revenue water losses from leakages and illegal connections remain at 34%. Additionally, officials noted that infrastructure vandalism has recently disrupted service in Gulu, Kaberamaido and parts of Kampala.
According to Ministry of Waer and Environment,government reports that about 82% of rural villages have at least one clean water source.While roughly 82% of households use improved sources (such as piped water or boreholes), up to 90% of household drinking water can become contaminated with bacteria (e.g., E. coli) before consumption.
The Permanent Secretary Ministry of Water and Environment Dr. Alfred Okot Okidi says Uganda has achieved significant milestones in advancing SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation) by expanding safe drinking water access to over 33 million citizens. The nation has constructed more than 150,000 water supply facilities—including deep boreholes, gravity flow schemes, and solar-powered mini-grids—and is actively pursuing national catchment resilience.
