Mityana District hosted the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Board of Directors while on their routine supervisory visits to operational areas across the country.
The visit kicked off at the Mityana District Headquarters, where the NWSC B.O.D met with local leaders to assess the current state of water services and explore possible improvements.
During the meeting, Deputy Town Clerk Mr. Eric Kinobe drew attention to the unsafe conditions of some water sources. “We have sources where people draw water, only that it’s not safe,” he said. “These sources are surrounded by pit latrines, and so the water is not good.” He also pointed out that some residents, discouraged by what they consider high tariffs, opt for unsafe but free alternatives.
While the question of affordability weighs heavily on residents, the bigger frustration for many is reliability which concern, the Deputy Mayor Mr. Alex Kibugo hinted on, acknowledging NWSC’s presence in Mityana but pointing to the inconsistent supply, often disrupted by power outages. “When there’s no power, the water supply is interrupted,” he said, adding that only about half of Mityana’s 144 villages currently have access to safe piped water. He therefore called for urgent network expansion to improve coverage across the district.
While the Deputy Mayor called for broader reach, others praised the strides already made and simply hoped for more improvements. Resident District Commissioner (RDC) Mr. Joseph Mukiibi commended NWSC for its responsiveness and commitment, despite the fact that while urban areas have seen noticeable improvement, three major sub-counties remain water-stressed. Still, he lauded the corporation’s efforts during a recent presidential visit, where water was supplied without interruption, and extended an offer of free airtime on a local radio talk show to boost public engagement. “The platform will help the community ask questions, raise concerns, and learn about water conservation,” he said.
In response, Board member Mr. George Runge, Chair of the NWSC Technical Committee, acknowledged the resource constraints the Corporation is facing. “We’re trying our best to provide the best service despite these challenges,” he said, and urged the district leadership to support efforts to eliminate illegal connections and emphasized the affordability of NWSC water. “Water is cheap and affordable, compare it to the price of mineral water,” he noted. And while still on the matter of reliable supply, Mr. Runge encouraged timely payment of bills to avoid uninterrupted service.
Board Chairman Eng. Dr. Badru Kiggundu expressed gratitude to Mityana leaders for their partnership and reminded them of NWSC’s commitment to transparency and community engagement, promising to organize a guided tour of the water treatment process “from source to distribution” so that they can better understand and appreciate what the corporation has to go through to ensure that every customer has access to clean safe water.
He also emphasized the “jerrican model” to illustrate the value for money in NWSC’s pricing structure, showing that even the smallest purchase delivers quality service.
The meeting concluded with NWSC outlining its long-term plans for the district, which include expanding the supply network and constructing a new water treatment plant to address growing demand.
