The Managing Director of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Eng. Silver Mugisha, has highlighted the Corporationβs significant growth over the past decade, attributing the progress to increased investment, improved efficiency, digitalisation and stronger internal capacity.
Speaking to journalists and stakeholders, Eng. Mugisha said NWSC has grown its customer connections from about 300,000 to approximately 1.46 million, while its main pipe network has expanded from about 6,000 kilometres to 25,000 kilometres. The Corporation targets 30,000 kilometres of network and 25 million people served within the next five years.
He said NWSCβs assets under management have grown from about Shs580 billion to approximately Shs5 trillion, while its service footprint has expanded from 23 to about 290 towns. The population served has similarly increased from about 4.5 million to 22 million Ugandans.
Eng. Mugisha attributed the growth partly to the use of force-account construction, which allows NWSC to implement projects using its own technical teams and thereby reduce reliance on external consultants and contractors.
He also highlighted the Corporationβs investment in digitalisation and internal engineering capacity, noting that NWSC is increasingly developing its own systems and designing projects internally. A new locally developed financial management system is currently being tested.
On accountability, Eng. Mugisha said NWSC has strengthened performance-based management, internal audits and oversight of contractors and consultants to promote efficiency and value for money.
He urged journalists and members of the public to continue scrutinising the Corporation, but encouraged them to raise concerns in good faith and seek clarification on issues they may not fully understand.
Addressing the 2023 cyberattack, he said NWSC was able to restore affected systems quickly because of its internal technical capacity, while the incident prompted further strengthening of cybersecurity measures.
Eng. Mugisha also explained NWSCβs shift towards retaining and managing some of its risks internally, saying the approach has saved the Corporation almost Shs10 billion over the past five years.
He further defended the retention of some highly specialised staff beyond the normal retirement age of 60, saying their experience remains critical in addressing complex technical challenges and transferring knowledge to younger professionals.
He said NWSC will continue investing in infrastructure, human capacity, digitalisation and operational efficiency to expand access to reliable water services while ensuring responsible use of public resources.
