The Managing Director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) Dr. Silver Mugisha has launched the construction of an additional 1000 taps for urban poor in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono service areas.
In 2006, NWSC established a dedicated Pro-Poor branch in Kisenyi and since then the situation in informal settlements has been turned around with safe and affordable water. The mandate of the Urban Pro-poor Branch is to put in place infrastructure to provide services to the informal settlements like those living in Kisenyi and other densely populated areas in Kampala.
According to Eng. Mugisha, the initiative is fully funded by NWSC and is intended to accelerate water coverage to low income earners in Kampala metropolitan areas. At the institutional level NWSC has been implementing a raft of policies explicitly focused on improving delivery of services to the urban poor.
“Currently, the Corporation has installed over 90 PSPs since the project started in December 2018, with works commencing in Rubaga Division. The project works are to continue over the next three years with an estimated installation of over 6,000PSPs,” he said at NWSC headquarters in Kampala.
In preparation of these works, Eng. Mugisha said the General Manager Kampala Water Eng. Andrew Sekayizi and the RCC Kampala Hajjat Faridah Mayanja Mpiima spent the 7th of January on an inspection tour of the proposed sites for the public taps. The team met with the local leaders and parish coordinators of the proposed project areas.
These areas for construction of the PSPs include: Bukesa, Civic Center, Industrial Area, Kagugube, Kamwokya, Kisenyi, KololoIII, Mengo, Nakasero, Nakivubo-Shauriyako, Old Kampala, Bwaise, Kanyanya, Kawempe, Kazo, Kikaaya, Komamboga, Kyebando, Makerere, Makerere University, Mpererwe, Mulago, Wandegeya, Bukasa, Buziga, Ggaba, Kabalagala, Kansanga-Muyenga, Katwe, Kibuli, Kibuye, Kisugu, Lukuli, Luwafu, Makindye, Nsambya-Central, Salaama, Wabigalo, Banda, Bugolobi, Bukoto, Butabika, Kiswa, Kiwatule, Kyambogo, Kyanja, Luzira, Mbuya, Mutungo, Naguru, Nakawa, Ntinda, Busega, Kabowa, Kasubi, Lubya, Lungujja, Mutundwe, Najjanankubi, Nakulabye, Namirembe, Natete, Ndeeba, Rubaga.
He said the Board and Management of NWSC believes that the construction of these additional public standpipes will improve the standard of living in the urban poor settlements of Kampala through provision of clean affordable water.