Kampala, Uganda | September 5, 2024 — In a bold leap toward addressing Uganda’s water and sanitation crisis, Day Light Solar Energies has launched WaterCredit, an AI-driven fintech platform aimed at making clean water infrastructure more accessible to rural communities.
Unveiled this week in Kampala, the platform is the brainchild of Sandra Nabakka, who sees the innovation as a breakthrough for cooperatives, schools, and community savings groups long excluded from traditional financing systems.
“This platform takes away the complexity of securing financing,” said Nabakka, Co- founder of Day Light Solar Energies. “It simplifies everything—from assessing a group’s needs and connecting them to the right financing partner, to submitting applications. The result? Faster decisions, better loans, and more communities gaining access to the clean water and sanitation they need.”
At the heart of the system is an AI-enabled chatbot—smart, intuitive, and accessible via web and mobile. It speaks users’ local languages and guides them step-by-step through the loan process, ensuring inclusivity for underserved and digitally limited populations. An organized group begins by registering with the chatbot, after which the Day Light team verifies the group’s legitimacy. The group then enters its water system requirements into the chatbot, which uses a high-level algorithm to assess their creditworthiness.
The AI, dubbed “Sandi AI,” consults partner financial institutions in real time to identify the most suitable loan offers. Groups can accept or reject these offers, and once a loan is approved, Day Light Solar delivers and installs the chosen water systems—whether solar pumps, irrigation kits, or sanitation units. Loans are then repaid over time, with a grace period built in.
“The group can then enjoy clean water—simple as that,” Nabakka added.
Before onboarding, Day Light Solar collaborates with local leaders to identify groups most in need. The chatbot analyzes mobile money histories, savings patterns, and previous repayment behavior to generate a digital credit profile. Using this data, the platform tailors financing packages to each group’s ability to repay, ensuring practical and sustainable outcomes.
“Too many well-meaning projects stall because of slow financing or unclear processes. We’re cutting through all that,” said Catharine Ainebyoona, the company’s spokesperson.
The innovation is already gaining traction with farmer cooperatives, SACCOs, Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), and women-led groups across the country. As climate change continues to disrupt rainfall patterns and strain traditional water sources, timely access to irrigation and sanitation technology is becoming a lifeline.
“This is a game-changer for us,” said Lydia Nantume, leader of a women’s farming collective in central Uganda. “We’ve struggled for years to raise funds for a solar-powered irrigation system. Now, with WaterCredit, we finally see a way forward. The chatbot speaks our language, helps us understand the loan terms, and we don’t have to travel to Kampala just to chase paperwork.”
What sets WaterCredit apart is its flexibility. Groups can apply for financing to cover everything from rainwater harvesting tanks and solar-powered water pumps to drip irrigation systems, school filtration units, and handwashing stations.
Day Light Solar Energies is betting on its AI-first model to unlock financing for tens of thousands of underserved communities—not just in Uganda, but across Sub-Saharan Africa. The company is already exploring opportunities to replicate the model in neighboring countries.
“We see this model scaling across the region,” Ainebyoona said. “The need is massive—but so is the opportunity. By connecting data, technology, and community needs, we’re showing that access to water doesn’t have to be a privilege. It can be a right—powered by innovation.”
As Uganda contends with rapid population growth and intensifying climate shocks, WaterCredit offers a timely and transformative solution—one that’s smart, scalable, and deeply grounded in local realities.
