By Guest Writer
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), through Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja, briefed President Yoweri Museveni about its preparedness to supply water to Hoima, Masindi and Kabalega International Airport during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON).
Ms Nabbanja, who leads the National AFCON Task Force, presented NWSC’s status report as the task force updated the President on preparations for the tournament during a meeting at State House, Entebbe, on Tuesday, September 22.
Uganda will co-host the tournament with Kenya and Tanzania from 16 June to 19 July 2027, the first time the competition will be staged in the East African Community.
Ms Nabbanja said water supply works for Hoima City Stadium are complete, while work to stabilize supply in Hoima City stands at 32 per cent.
The meeting was attended by NWSC Managing Director Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha and other sector officials.
The programme is being implemented by the Ministry of Water and Environment through NWSC, Ms Nabbanja said. She said it aims to provide dedicated supply to stadiums and hospitality venues and to stabilize supply in host cities ahead of an expected increase in visitors, and that the project has moved from planning into major civil works.
The stadium is supplied by two boreholes at Mparo and Kyarwiru, which yield 25 and 15 cubic metres an hour respectively. Both have been developed, connected to the stadium and commissioned, giving the venue a supply line independent of the city network. The stadium, one of Uganda’s main venues for the tournament, was officially launched in December 2025.
The Hoima City works are designed to add 2,000 cubic metres of treated water a day to the city’s network.
Component A comprises a 2,000 cubic metre-a-day treatment plant at Kafu-Rwoga, a 2.9km raw water pipeline and a 300 cubic metre balancing reservoir.
Component B covers a permanent intake on River Kafu and a 22km treated water pipeline from Kikuube to Hoima City.
According to the figures , the Prime Minister presented, excavation and concrete blinding for the treatment plant units are complete, as are surveys of the pipeline routes.
Excavation for the river intake is at 90 per cent, power extension to the sites at 50 per cent, and steel reinforcement and concrete works for the treatment plant at 15 per cent, the President learnt.
The report lists the ordering of pumps for the Kafu treatment plant and the start of structural walling for the plant’s aerator, clarifier and filter units as the next steps.
NWSC’s original scope covered the stadium and Hoima City’s supply. The AFCON Secretariat later asked the utility to extend services to Kabalega International Airport and to stabilise supply in Masindi Town, she said.
To supply the airport, NWSC proposes raising the capacity of the Kafu treatment plant from 2,000 to 3,000 cubic metres a day, laying a 36km bulk transfer main with a nominal diameter of 200mm, and building a 200 cubic metre reservoir at the airport.
The airport itself is still under construction. In June, the Uganda Civil Aviation Authority said the first phase was 98 per cent complete, and that the passenger terminal, part of the second phase, was scheduled for completion in March 2027. Ms Nabbanja later directed the Ministry of Works and Transport and the contractor to have the airport fully completed by December 2026.
In Masindi, the plan includes upgrading the Katam–Kyema pipelines, installing electromechanical pumping equipment and extending supply to Masindi Stadium and a hotel designated for the tournament.
The airport and Masindi works each stand at five per cent. Ms Nabbanja said pipeline surveys for both have been completed and the works scoped, and that the airport works are ready for procurement once the necessary funds are released.
She put the total cost of the water interventions at UGX 22.15 billion. Of that, UGX 6.25 billion has been secured and is funding civil works under Component A.
A request for the remaining UGX 15.9 billion has been made to the AFCON Secretariat and the President, she said, and the money is needed for work on the airport extension to begin. The balance covers the airport pipeline and plant upgrade, the Masindi works and Component B of the Hoima project.
Ms Nabbanja said the works are on schedule for completion by February 2027, about four months before the tournament begins. The report does not say whether that timeline depends on the release of the outstanding funds.
The briefing comes days after Confederation of African Football (CAF) president Dr Patrice Motsepe began an inspection tour of the three host countries. Speaking in Tanzania, he said the hosts had nine months left and needed to speed up. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
