The Managing Director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), Eng. Silver Mugisha, unveiled a new campaign that will clamp down on water theft, a vice that continues to be a thorn in the corporation’s foot.
This new campaign has provided for a one-month amnesty to water-theft culprits, allowing them to come forward and be legally reconnected, whereas staff who may have carried out the illegal connections return to the field and rectify their mistakes before the law takes its course.
Dr Eng. Mugisha during the unveiling ceremony revealed that the corporation loses about UGX5 Billion in water theft monthly, affecting provision of services to Ugandans. He hinted on the fact that although the Corporation has a team of dedicated staff, there are some bad apples conniving with customers to carry out illegal connections and costing the Corporation billions in revenue.
“When it comes to water, you can’t avoid losses, but the water losses we have right now are slightly above what it should be according to our plans. We estimate that in Kampala, we lose about Shs2Bn per month and 5B across the country. This is money that we can plough into service extensions and serve more people.” he lamented.
Dr Eng. Mugisha added that there is no excuse people can give for stealing water especially with the affordable costs attached to the service. Explaining that for a 20 liter jerican, Commercial water consumers are charged Shs100, institutions including schools and hospitals are charged Shs84 and this amount includes service fees and VAT. Additionally, domestic users are charged Shs83, while public stand pipe users are charged Shs25.
After the one-month amnesty period has elapsed, staff caught carrying out illegal connections will lose their employment while customers will be prosecuted according to the law.
NWSC is committed to Water and Sanitation for All.
Story by: John Fisher Sekabira
