On the 26th of October 2023, the General Manager of Kampala Water, Eng. Mahmood Lutaaya, orchestrated a meeting with a distinguished team of consultants from FICHTNER, National Water and Sewerage Corporation’s Project Planing & Capital Development Department NWSC-P&CD), Kampala Water’s Stakeholder Liaison Unit (SLU), and Urban Pro-Poor Branch (UPPB), at the Kampala Water Headquarters on Jinja Road. The meeting was about the ambitious KW-LVWATSAN PACKAGE 5B Project, aimed at installing 2600 Pre-Paid meters and distributing 150,000 tokens in Kampala’s informal settlements, a remarkable stride towards equitable water access.
The meeting also acted as a catalyst for discussing the intricate web of actions essential for the project’s enduring success which include but are not limited to; Community Sensitization and Engagement, Public Relations, Data Management, Facilities for Data Collection, Follow-Up of Registered Clients, Staff Training, Software Synchronization, and Support for Expanded UPPB Operations.
Dr. Adolf Spritzer, representing FICHTNER, affirmed the contractor’s commitment to providing technical support, a tradition that has underpinned their previous collaborations with NWSC. Whereas Eng. Mary Oyuru from P&CD highlighted the importance of measures to follow up on registered clients, protecting the meters, and ensuring the project’s long-term viability.
The commitment and anticipation is undebatable as the Kampala Water Central Business Zone team has already received 50 applications for meters from different communities. This demonstrates the eagerness and enthusiasm among the public for this transformative initiative.
Eng. Mahmood Lutaaya, speaking on behalf of KW management, expressed excitement at the prospects of the Package 5B project. He recognized the need for capacity building among the staff and a tailored restructuring to align with the project’s objectives.
The deliberations of this meeting herald a remarkable transformation for impoverished settlements in and around Kampala, and this project is poised to benefit thousands, ensuring NWSC fulfills its noble mandate of providing clean and safe water access to all.
