NWSC’s new expansion plan to strengthen financial and service capabilities.
Drake Nyamugabwa
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) during a press briefing has unveiled a holistic and ambitious Corporate Plan for FY2024-2027, focusing on the expansion of water and sanitation services to more Ugandans.
The plan builds on the corporation’s achievements over the past three years, during which it increased its asset base from UGX 3.5 trillion to UGX 4.5 trillion and grew its customer base from 785,000 to 950,000 connections.
The theme of the plan is: “Water and Sanitation for All,”
The Managing Director, NWSC. Eng. Mugisha while attributing the achievement to Uganda government’s will on water and sanitation, said that NWSC’s plan considers the needs and expectations of the various stakeholders
“We expect to transform NWSC into a vibrant utility with robust financial and technical self-reliance capabilities. More service improvement projects are ongoing to Mbarara, Insingiro, Mbale, Soroti, and Moroto among other towns.,” he said
The corporation has identified key risk factors, including rapid urbanization, technology changes, and climate change, and has formulated mitigation measures. The plan has been submitted to the Minister of Water and Environment after the expiry of the 2021-2024 Corporate Plan.
He highlighted that NWSC’s 10-year performance history and outlook, citing key performance indicators such as population served, connections base, network length, assets, annual turnover, and budget cost coverage.
The Board Chairman Eng. Dr. Badru M. Kiggundu, said that the new plan addresses challenges faced by the corporation, including inadequate financing, Non-Revenue Water, and climate change impacts.
“We aim to contribute to the Government’s policy and strategic direction, supporting the National Development Plan (NDP-III) and proposed NDP IV (2025-2030),” he said
The plan focuses on three strategic areas: supporting production and industrialization, increasing water coverage and promoting health and equity, and effective private sector involvement with emphasis on local content. NWSC has set seven global corporate goals, including increasing the customer base to 1,135,000 connections, improving Non-Revenue Water performance and increasing annual turnover to UGX 702 billion.
The number of connections has grown from 366,200 in 2014 to 785,000 in 2021, with a target of 1,135,000 by 2027 and 1,565,383 by 2034. The network length has expanded from 8,100 km in 2014 to 19,300 km in 2021, with a projected increase to 23,142 km by 2027 and 28,217 km by 2034.
NWSC’s assets have grown significantly from UGX 0.7 trillion in 2014 to UGX 4.5 trillion in 2024, with a target of UGX 5.1 trillion by 2027 and UGX 7.2 trillion by 2034. The annual turnover has increased from UGX 180 billion in 2014 to UGX 634 billion in 2024, with a projected increase to UGX 867 billion by 2027.
