The Government has launched a Shs694 billion water and sanitation project expected to provide more than one million people in Wakiso and Mpigi districts with reliable access to safe drinking water.
The Wakiso West Water and Sanitation Project, implemented through the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), will draw water from Lake Victoria at Bwerenga to supply Kyengera, Nsangi, Kajjansi, Kasanje, Kiringente, Wakiso Town Council and Mpigi Town Council.
The project will also cover the Entebbe Road corridor and areas between Entebbe, Masaka and Mityana roads. About 160,000 of the expected beneficiaries live in informal settlements.
NWSC on Tuesday signed a consultancy contract worth approximately Shs47.5 billion with a joint venture comprising Danish firm NIRAS A/S and German engineering company Fichtner GmbH & Co. KG. Ugandan firms M&E Associates Ltd and Alliance Consultants Ltd will serve as sub-consultants.
The consultants will undertake the project designs, prepare tender documents and supervise construction works.
NWSC Managing Director Dr Silver Mugisha said the project would address growing demand for water in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
“Upon completion, the project is expected to provide over one million people with uninterrupted access to safe, reliable drinking water,” Mugisha said.
The project comes amid persistent water supply challenges in several western and southern suburbs of Kampala, where rapid population growth has increased pressure on existing infrastructure.
Kampala’s main water treatment plants at Ggaba and Katosi are located on the eastern side of the city, requiring water to travel long distances through the distribution network to reach western areas.
Some communities, including Kyengera, Mutundwe, Lubowa, Buziga and Munyonyo, have experienced intermittent supply, with households in the most affected areas placed on rationing schedules.
In August, residents of Kyengera told NTV Uganda that they were buying water from wells at between Shs1,000 and Shs2,000 per jerrycan.
The 2024 national census put the combined population of Kampala and Wakiso at more than 5.2 million, with Wakiso emerging as the country’s most populous district.
Under the new project, the Bwerenga treatment plant will have the capacity to produce 62.5 million litres of water daily, while its intake infrastructure will be capable of drawing up to 200 million litres a day from Lake Victoria.
The system will include 94.2 kilometres of transmission pipelines and 78.5 kilometres of secondary pipelines, supplying five reservoirs at Kaga, Nsangi, Nanziga, Mpigi and Bukasa. The reservoirs will have a combined storage capacity exceeding 15.25 million litres.
Pumping stations will also be constructed at Buloba, Katende, Maya and Ssekiwunga, while the distribution network will cover approximately 4,300 hectares.
To improve access in informal settlements, the project will install 941 community water dispensers and yard taps fitted with electronic prepaid meters across 19 parishes.
The parishes include Kimbejja, Katereke, Kisozi/Kitemu, Nsangi, Kasenge, Kikajjo, Bweya, Kitende, Namulanda, Nkungulutale, Kafumu, Kikonkoma, Lwanga, Bumoozi, Kakoola, Kavule, Maziba, Ssisa and Wamala.
Mugisha said the facilities were intended to improve access and affordability for communities that are often underserved by conventional water distribution systems.
“Recognising the importance of inclusive access to essential services, the project will establish 941 community water dispensers in informal settlements. These interventions are intended to make safe water more accessible and affordable, particularly for underserved communities,” he said.
Beyond water supply, the project will include a faecal sludge treatment plant along Ssekiwunga Road in Kajjansi, with capacity to process at least 400,000 litres daily.
Solar installations generating at least 2,945 kilowatts will also be established at selected project sites.
Mugisha said the sludge treatment facility would help curb indiscriminate disposal of faecal waste, reduce contamination of surface and groundwater resources and minimise public health risks associated with inadequate sanitation.