Minister Musasizi Details Shs6.8 Trillion NWSC Expansion Plan To Take Clean Water To More Ugandans
Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has detailed a Shs6.8 trillion expansion programme by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), as government steps up investment in water infrastructure to increase access to clean and reliable water across Uganda.Musasizi said the investment in water and sanitation is intended to serve both domestic needs and economic production, noting that reliable access to safe water is closely linked to public health and the growth of different sectors of the economy.
He made the remarks in Kampala during the launch of Flow of Purpose, a book authored by Dr Callist Tindimugaya, the Commissioner for Water Resources, Planning and Regulation.The minister said government has already invested heavily in water infrastructure through several major programmes. Among them is the Integrated Water Management and Development Project, which is valued at approximately Shs1.3 trillion and focuses on improving water and sanitation services.He also pointed to water-for-production projects being implemented in different regions, including village gravity-flow schemes, bulk water systems and livestock dams. Such projects are particularly important in dry areas such as Karamoja and northern Uganda, where communities require additional sources of water for households, livestock and production.For the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area, Musasizi highlighted the Kampala Water and Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project in Ggaba.
He said the project has contributed to a significant increase in water production, with the metropolitan area receiving tens of millions of additional litres of water each day.Musasizi said the NWSC Strategic Plan for 2025–2030 is another major component of the country’s water expansion programme. The plan is valued at $1.8 billion, equivalent to roughly Shs6.8 trillion, and is designed to support the expansion of clean water services as demand continues to increase.The minister said government is also using water investments to strengthen agriculture by expanding irrigation and reducing dependence on rainfall.
He cited solar-powered irrigation systems under Nexus Green, the Farm Income Enhancement and Forest Conservation Programme and several large irrigation schemes being implemented in different districts.He further stressed the importance of protecting Uganda’s lakes, rivers, wetlands and forests as the country works towards its 10-fold growth strategy and the target of a $500 billion economy by 2040. During the same event, officials praised Dr Tindimugaya for his more than three decades of service in Uganda’s water sector, while NWSC Managing Director Eng. Silver Mugisha described him as a highly knowledgeable figure in water resources management.
