NWSC’s Shs400bn Package 2B Project to Close Greater Kampala Water Supply Gap, Says Dr Silver Mugisha

KAMPALA, Uganda — The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has said its multi-million-euro Package 2B water network expansion project will help end recurrent water shortages across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) by strengthening the distribution system and enabling the utility to fully utilise water produced at the Katosi Water Treatment Plant.

NWSC Managing Director, Eng. Dr Silver Mugisha, made the remarks on Wednesday during an inspection tour of the Package 2B project sites across northern and western Kampala.

The project, formally known as the Rehabilitation, Restructuring, Rezoning and Extension of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Water Supply Network Project – Package 2B, involves the laying of new transmission mains, construction of reservoirs, installation of booster stations and improvements to the corporation's water monitoring and control systems.

Dr Mugisha said the intervention is designed to address both the immediate water shortages affecting rapidly growing communities and the long-term increase in demand expected in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area through 2040.

“The demand for water in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Service Area is growing every day, and customers need answers,” Dr Mugisha said.

“The project must be completed within time and budget.”

From Water Production to Water Distribution

Dr Mugisha said NWSC was increasingly focusing on strengthening the water distribution network to ensure that treated water already available at production facilities can effectively reach consumers.

He noted that although the Katosi Water Treatment Plant added 160 million litres of water per day to the Greater Kampala supply system when it came online, the plant is currently operating at only about 52 per cent of its capacity because the existing distribution infrastructure cannot evacuate all the water produced.

According to Dr Mugisha, Package 2B is expected to bridge that infrastructure gap and enable NWSC to utilise the Katosi plant's full current output.

He also directed NWSC engineers to commence work on an additional water evacuation line from Katosi, saying the move was necessary to support future expansion.

The Katosi facility is designed to eventually produce up to 240 million litres per day, and Dr Mugisha said the new evacuation infrastructure would enable NWSC to draw and distribute more water as demand continues to grow.

“We have a lot of water at Katosi, and plans are under way to evacuate more and serve Kampala,” he said.

He added that increasing supply from Katosi would reduce pressure on the older Ggaba water treatment facilities, which have historically carried a significant share of Kampala's water demand.

Project Expected to Deliver Relief Before 2027

Although the entire Package 2B project is scheduled for completion in 2027, NWSC says residents in some areas will begin benefiting earlier as completed sections are commissioned progressively.

The contractor is pursuing a sectional handover arrangement that will allow NWSC to activate completed infrastructure without waiting for the entire project to be finalised.

One of the first major sections expected to be commissioned is the 7.7-kilometre bulk pipeline running from Namugongo through Bulindo, Nsasa and Mulawa to the Kira–Kasangati Road.

The line is expected to be ready from December 2026 and will improve water supply to Namugongo, Kira, Buwaate, Bulindo, Mulawa, Kasangati and surrounding communities.

Dr Mugisha welcomed the phased commissioning approach, saying NWSC would put completed sections into service immediately as construction progresses.

He said he was satisfied with the mobilisation and progress of works in areas including Nansana, Katooke and Kawempe, but stressed that the contractor must maintain momentum.

The NWSC Managing Director said he would personally inspect the project every quarter and directed the contractor and supervising consultant to submit an acceleration plan and regular quarterly progress reports demonstrating tangible progress on the ground.

He also urged the supervising consultant and contractor to work closely to ensure that the project is completed to the required quality standards.

Major Infrastructure Works

Package 2B involves the construction of approximately 70 kilometres of transmission mains across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.

The project will also include three major reservoirs:

A 10-million-litre concrete reservoir at Kanyanya;

A 3.89-million-litre steel reservoir at Kabulengwa;

and A one-million-litre steel reservoir at Mutungo.

In addition, NWSC is constructing booster stations at Kungu and Kabulengwa and upgrading the Kampala Water SCADA control system to improve monitoring, control and management of the water supply network.

The project began in February 2025 and is currently estimated to be about 35 per cent complete overall.

According to NWSC, the Kungu booster station is currently the most advanced component at approximately 70 per cent completion, followed by the Kabulengwa booster station at 65 per cent and the Mutungo reservoir at 55 per cent.

Pipe-laying works are estimated to be around one-third complete, with approximately 25 kilometres of the planned 70 kilometres of transmission mains already laid.

NWSC Senior Director for Engineering Services Alex Gisagara said all project sites had been mobilised and that the corporation had developed the technical capacity required to manage and maintain the infrastructure once construction is completed.

“Our team is already handling the Katosi and Kagera water works, which are new. Once Katosi Package 2B is done, our team is ready to effectively manage and maintain the system,” Gisagara said.

Call for Quality and Durability

NWSC Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services Eng. Johnson Amayo urged the contractor to conduct thorough pressure testing of the new pipelines to prevent future leaks and bursts.

Meanwhile, Eng. Paddy Twesigye, NWSC's Senior Director for Projects and Capital Development, said the corporation remained committed to improving water supply reliability not only in Greater Kampala but across its areas of operation nationwide.

Project consultant David Gaunt said the infrastructure was being designed and constructed for long-term service.

“We are looking at a project that will last over 50 years,” Gaunt said, while commending contractor Sogea Satom for its experience in delivering durable infrastructure projects.

€92.4 Million Investment

Package 2B is being implemented at a contract value of approximately €92.4 million.

The project is principally financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), with support from the European Union, the European Investment Bank and Germany's KfW.

The works are being undertaken by Sogea Satom under the supervision of the ARTELIA–Gauff Association.

Once completed, the upgraded network is expected to improve water supply across numerous communities in Kampala and Wakiso, including areas around Kira, Kasangati, Gayaza, Matugga, Kawempe, Nansana and Wakiso Town.

Other areas expected to benefit include communities in Wakiso, Kakiri, Gayaza, Nansana, Kanyanya, Luteete and Matugga.

Responding to Rapid Population Growth

The expansion comes at a time when Greater Kampala is experiencing rapid population growth and increasing pressure on public infrastructure.

Kampala and Wakiso districts together have a population of more than 5.2 million people, according to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census.

Wakiso has since emerged as Uganda's most populous district, with rapid urbanisation and expanding residential developments placing sustained pressure on water infrastructure.

NWSC says some parts of the existing network have become overstretched due to population growth, uneven distribution of infrastructure and ageing facilities.

Dr Mugisha said Package 2B represents a critical investment in correcting those gaps and ensuring that the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area has sufficient water distribution capacity to meet current and future demand.

With Katosi possessing significant untapped production capacity, NWSC believes the completion of Package 2B and the planned additional evacuation infrastructure will mark a major turning point in efforts to stabilise water supply across Kampala and its rapidly expanding surrounding urban centres.

As construction continues, the corporation says its immediate focus will be on accelerating the works while commissioning completed sections early so that communities experiencing persistent water shortages can begin receiving relief before the project's full completion in 2027.