By Guest Writer
French Ambassador to Uganda Her Excellency Virginie Leroy commended National Water and Sewerage Corporation for its technical efficiency and commitment to service delivery during a high-level visit to the utility’s headquarters in Nakasero
The ambassador met with Managing Director Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha to review the progress of critical water and sanitation infrastructure projects funded by the French government through the French Development Agency, or AFD.
A primary focus of the bilateral cooperation is the Katosi Water Works and its accompanying distribution network. AFD currently supports the Package 2B project, which includes the installation of 70 kilometers of primary transmission pipelines and the construction of massive reservoirs in Kanyanya, Kabulengwa and Mutungo.
These works are designed to stabilize water pressure and expand reach throughout the northern and western reaches of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Beyond the Katosi system, the French government has been instrumental in the rehabilitation of the Ggaba Water Treatment Complex and the implementation of the SCAP 100 project, which extended water services to 12,000 villages across the country.
Collaboration also extends to pro-poor initiatives, including the rollout of 1,400 prepaid public standpipes and 64 sanitation facilities in informal settlements, providing essential services to approximately 450,000 residents.
Leroy praised the corporation’s operational standards, noting that the partnership serves as a model for successful infrastructure cooperation. She reiterated the French government’s commitment to investing in Uganda and noted that the utility consistently delivers projects on time and within cost.
During the meeting, Dr. Mugisha called on the ambassador to support a new 35 towns water supply project. He proposed a partnership to foster innovation, technology and knowledge exchange between the corporation and French companies.
We are working on various innovations to reduce project costs, with an aim of serving more people with clean safe water with value for money at the heart of project implementation, Dr. Mugisha said.
The managing director also highlighted the utility’s approach to gender equality through the She Leads and Empower Her programs, which focus on skilling and capacity building. Our approach to gender is not activism or counting how many women and men that we have, Dr. Mugisha said. It is about how many competent women and men do we have.
Dr. Mugisha credited the French government for its sustained investment, noting that AFD has committed approximately 480 million euros to date. He characterized the partnership as a vital component of Uganda’s Vision 2040 infrastructure goals.
Since Dr. Mugisha assumed leadership in 2013, the corporation has expanded its footprint from 23 towns to more than 280 urban centers. Its asset base has grown from 650 billion shillings to over 5 trillion shillings, while customer connections have eclipsed 1 million, serving a population of 22 million.
Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services Johnson Amayo said the utility is pursuing financing approaches where investments are made at flexible rates to ensure cost-effective project construction.
The utility is currently executing its 2024–2027 corporate plan, which prioritizes digital transformation and climate stewardship. Future milestones include increasing production at the Katosi plant to its full capacity of 240 million liters per day to meet the surging demand of a growing urban population. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
