LAND ENGAGEMENTS UNDERWAY FOR KITGUM WATER SUPPLY IMPROVEMENT PROJECT

Progress continues on the Kitgum Water Supply Improvement Project, with stakeholder engagements and land boundary surveys taking centre stage this week. A team from the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Head Office is currently on the ground in Kitgum to carry out key preliminary activities, particularly around land acquisition for the proposed intake site and the transmission pipeline route.

The delegation includes Senior Manager, GIS and Surveys, RSU, Evas Tumuheirwe; Senior Surveyor, RSU, Robert Ochieng; Principal Engineer, Planning and Capital Development, Eng. Anthony Ojok; and NWSC Sociologist, Viet Owomugisha, who are working closely with the Kitgum Area Manager, Acting Area Engineer, and the NRM Vice Chairman for Mobilisation in Kitgum Municipality.

The team’s visit began with an entry meeting with the mayor of Kitgum Municipality, during which NWSC briefed the mayor on the current status of the project and outlined the objectives of the visit. In response, the mayor expressed his full support for the initiative and reaffirmed his commitment to facilitating its successful implementation.

NWSC also engaged the LC1, LC2, and LC3 chairpersons and landowners, as well as the clan leader and the NRM Mobilisation Vice Chairman, at the proposed site for the intake and along the planned pipeline route in a meeting, which provided a platform for open discussion and saw community members voice their willingness to provide the necessary land for the project, giving a major boost to ongoing preparations.

With the cooperation of landowners, the NWSC team conducted detailed land boundary surveys, with a focus on verifying and capturing the demarcations of land parcels along the proposed route, guided directly by the landowners themselves. This participatory approach helped ensure that shared boundaries were correctly identified and documented.

To advance the process further, the NWSC team held a meeting with the Town Clerk of Kitgum and shared updates on the project’s progress, upcoming activities, and key timelines. The meeting also served as a follow-up on NWSC’s formal request for the allocation of Town Council land to host the planned water treatment plant. In response, the Town Clerk assured the team that their request was under consideration and would be addressed accordingly, especially with the Senior Physical Planner for Kitgum District also present during the meeting.

Before wrapping up their engagements, the NWSC team also met with the Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC) of Kitgum and offered another opportunity to brief district leadership on the status of the project and emphasise its anticipated impact.

The Kitgum Water Supply Improvement Project is one of several ongoing efforts by the NWSC to expand access to safe water in rapidly growing urban centres. With land matters now receiving active attention, the project moves one step closer to implementation.