Dr Eng. Silver Mugisha, Managing Director of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), has been awarded the Golden Jubilee Medal by President Yoweri Museveni in recognition of his remarkable leadership and contributions to Uganda’s water and sanitation sector.
The honour was conferred during the national Labour Day celebrations at the Nakale Grounds in Nakapiripirit District on Thursday, May 1st, 2025. The Golden Jubilee Medal, established in 2012 to mark Uganda’s 50th independence anniversary, is among the country’s highest civilian honours, reserved for individuals who have made outstanding contributions to national development.
Dr. Mugisha has spent his entire professional career at NWSC since joining in 1994. As he progressed through the ranks, he secured the position of Managing Director in August 2013, assuming leadership of an institution he would later revolutionise. Under his leadership, NWSC has expanded access to clean water on an unprecedented scale. Customer connections have more than doubled from 270,000 in 2013 to over 650,000 by 2023. The corporation’s annual revenue has also grown from Shs150 billion to over Shs445 billion, reflecting both financial strength and operational efficiency.
Infrastructure development under Dr. Mugisha’s tenure has been equally impressive, with the laying of new water mains skyrocketing from 80 km a year to 2,800 km, while the total network length has grown from 6,500 km to over 18,000 km. This scale of expansion has extended NWSC’s reach from 58 towns to more than 270, pushing service coverage to 84% within municipal boundaries and 74% across both urban and peri-urban areas.
Financially, the corporation’s asset base has surged from Shs650 billion to Shs3.1 trillion, with annual surplus funds for reinvestment more than doubling from Shs38 billion to Shs96 billion. These gains have fuelled ongoing projects, including the installation of modern water pumps, new boreholes, and critical transmission lines to secure reliable supplies.
Dr. Mugisha’s influence extends beyond NWSC. He has chaired the Governing Council of the Federation of Uganda Employers and the Board of the Uganda Business and Technical Examinations Board. He also sits on the Board of the National Social Security Fund and holds membership in several professional bodies, including the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers and the Engineers Registration Board.
His leadership in the international water sector is well recognised, especially having served on the board of the International Water Association (IWA) from 2014 to 2016 and as vice president from 2016 to 2018. In 2024, the IWA awarded him its highest honour at its congress in Toronto for outstanding contributions to water management and science. He is also the President Emeritus of the African Water and Sanitation Association.
A Ph.D. holder in engineering and economics from Makerere University with research conducted jointly with the Public Utility Research Centre at the University of Florida, Dr. Mugisha has applied academic rigour to practical reforms, shaping NWSC into a model of public utility efficiency.
The Medal is a clear depiction of both national and international recognition of Dr Mugisha’s enduring commitment to accelerating access to safe water and sanitation and improving the quality of life for millions of Ugandans and other countries across the African continent.
