KAMPALA – The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has earmarked 20 million euros (about Shs75m) for the construction of 1,000 public taps in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono districts.
Addressing journalists on Friday, Dr. Silver Mugisha, the NWSC managing director, said water pipes and toilets will mainly be constructed in schools and marketplaces in order to address sanitation problems.
“It is not our mandate to build the sanitation facilities but we are doing it as our corporate social responsibility which will cost 20 million Euros (Shs.74 billion) from both government and internally generated funds,” he said.
The areas where the pipes will be constructed include Kawempe, Rubaga and Makindye divisions. Last week, Cholera broke out in areas of Kabowa, with the Ministry of Health confirming death of seven people so far.
The ministry attributes the outbreak to poor hygiene and sanitation in the area where residents have been seen fetching water from drainage channels where pitlatrines and bathrooms drain into.
The outbreak has resulted in frantic calls for general cleaning of the slums so as to maintain hygiene and sanitation in the areas.
According to Dr. Mugisha, they hope to cover one million city residents by 2021 and they will connect piped water to 12,000 villages across the country
Since the late 1990s, Uganda has been undertaking an ambitious program to reduce national poverty, emphasizing pro-poor service delivery and promoting equitable economic growth.
At the institutional level, NWSC has been implementing a raft of policies explicitly focused on improving delivery of services to the urban poor.
In 2006, NWSC established a dedicated pro-poor branch in Kisenyi and since then the situation in informal settlements has been turned around with safe and affordable water. The mandate of the Urban Pro-poor Branch is to put in place infrastructure to provide services to the informal settlements like those living in Kisenyi and other densely populated areas in Kampala.
In preparation for the sanitation project, the General Manager Kampala Water Eng. Andrew Sekayizi, and the RCC Kampala, Hajjat Faridah Mayanja Mpiima, spent the 7th of January on an inspection tour of the proposed sites for the public taps. The team met with the local leaders and parish coordinators of the proposed project areas.
These areas for construction of the PSPs include: Bukesa, Civic Center, Industrial Area, Kagugube, Kamwokya, Kisenyi, KololoIII, Mengo, Nakasero, Nakivubo-Shauriyako, Old Kampala, Bwaise, Kanyanya, Kawempe, Kazo, Kikaaya, Komamboga, Kyebando, Makerere, Makerere University, Mpererwe, Mulago, Wandegeya, Bukasa, Buziga, Ggaba, Kabalagala, Kansanga-Muyenga, Katwe, Kibuli, Kibuye, Kisugu, Lukuli, Luwafu, Makindye, Nsambya-Central, Salaama, Wabigalo, Banda, Bugolobi, Bukoto, Butabika, Kiswa, Kiwatule, Kyambogo, Kyanja, Luzira, Mbuya, Mutungo, Naguru, Nakawa, Ntinda, Busega, Kabowa, Kasubi, Lubya, Lungujja, Mutundwe, Najjanankubi, Nakulabye, Namirembe, Natete, Ndeeba, Rubaga.
Currently, the Corporation has installed over 90 PSPs since the project started in December 2018, with works commencing in Rubaga Division. The project works are to continue over the next three years with an estimated installation of over 6,000PSPs.
The Board and Management of NWSC believes that the construction of these additional public standpipes will improve the standard of living in the urban poor settlements of Kampala through provision of clean affordable water.
NWSC is committed to water for all for delighted customers by a delighted workforce.