By Mulengera Reporters
Many families in Kampala’s slums have for years suffered at the hands of private water vendors who sold a jerrican at as high as UGX 500, making clean water expensive, and poor households were pushed to the wall.
That story is changing, thanks to the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC). In July 2024, NWSC’s Urban Pro-Poor Branch introduced SUSTEQ prepaid water meters under the Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project, a system with which customers simply buy tokens through mobile money, and each token gives them 20 litres of water at only UGX 25 (per jerrican).
The innovation has already transformed lives, as to date, NWSC has installed 1,272 prepaid water points across Kawempe, Nakawa, Makindye, Kampala Central, Nansana, Kira, Lubaga, Nabweru, and Makindye Ssabagabo. Over 18,500 customers are now using the system, and 19,083 tokens have been registered.
Water sales jumped from 43,215 cubic metres in July 2024 to 45,225 cubic metres by June 2025, with revenue collections also shooting up from UGX 50.7 million to UGX 83.3 million, more than doubling the monthly target.
Branch Manager Ms. Evelyn Mukajusi says this growth comes from the rise in token registrations, improved e-services, and the ongoing rollout of meters in underserved communities. NWSC has also worked with Habitat for Humanity and CIDI to teach people how to use the new meters and fight misinformation spread by former water sellers.
Thanks to NWSC, Kampala’s poor no longer suffer under the grip of exploitative vendors, giving meaning to the proverb that, “A good well quenches the thirst of many,” as a result of which NWSC has now dug the well, ensuring every family gets water at the right price. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
