NWSC’s Mugisha urges collaboration for water solutions

Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha, the managing director of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), has underscored the importance of collaboration in addressing water access and sanitation challenges.

Speaking at the AfWASA International Congress and Exhibition 2025 in Kampala on Wednesday, February 19, 2025, Dr Mugisha, who also serves as the president of AfWASA, highlighted the vital role of partnerships in achieving the goal of universal water access.

The AfWASA International Congress and Exhibition is taking place at Speke Resort Munyonyo, Kampala, Uganda, from February 16-20. 2025.

"Partnerships are not just beneficial—they are essential," Dr Mugisha remarked.

"They allow us to share expertise, foster innovation, and significantly amplify our impact. Together, we can achieve far more than we could alone."

Mugisha emphasised the diverse forms of collaboration, including strategic alliances, open innovation, and ecosystem partnerships.

He stressed the importance of cross-industry dialogue, particularly between the water, energy, and environment sectors. According to him, these partnerships foster trust, enable the scaling of successful initiatives, and contribute to solving complex, interconnected challenges in a holistic way.

"Ecosystem partnerships are especially critical," he explained. "They help us break down silos and address the multi-dimensional problems we face in the water sector."

Dr Mugisha provided an overview of NWSC’s operations, noting that the corporation serves 19 million people across 276 urban centres in Uganda, with a network covering 23,500 kilometres. He reaffirmed NWSC's commitment to the "Water for All" agenda, emphasizing its focus on development, capital investment, and in-house innovation.

Looking ahead, NWSC’s strategic plan for the next five years includes ambitious goals, such as a substantial increase in turnover and asset base by 2030.

Addressing the challenge of non-revenue water (NRW), which currently averages 34%, Dr Mugisha acknowledged the difficulties faced in Kampala but expressed confidence in meeting their targets.

"We are committed to reducing non-revenue water," he said. "Kampala remains a significant challenge, but we are confident we will meet our goals."

NWSC’s plans include reducing NRW from 34% to 30%, maintaining a customer satisfaction index of 80%, and increasing the asset base from sh4.5 trillion to sh6.2 trillion.

Dr Mugisha also highlighted the corporation’s broad international engagement, having partnered with organisations in 35 countries, including Australia, Austria, Angola, and more. He attributed much of NWSC’s success to capacity development, targeted training, and employee incentives.

"Our staff are our greatest asset," he stated. "We invest in their growth and empower them to take ownership of their work."

Explaining NWSC’s multi-faceted business strategy, Dr. Mugisha outlined continuous re-engineering, asset management, and sustainable financial resource practices.

He emphasised that NWSC has successfully secured funding from financial markets, demonstrating the corporation’s self-reliance.

"While we appreciate external aid, we are not dependent on it," he asserted. "Our resourcefulness has allowed us to thrive even without it, securing vital funding from financial markets."

Dr Mugisha further noted that NWSC’s current tariff structure does not fully cover costs but does cover all operating expenses and a portion of capital expenditure, with plans for increased cost recovery in the future.

He also emphasised NWSC’s commitment to cost reforms, energy optimization with energy-efficient pumps, business process re-engineering, and cost containment.

A significant focus for NWSC is leveraging in-house IT solutions to drive operational efficiency and reduce costs.

The corporation has developed its own billing, procurement, and human resource management systems and is nearing the replacement of its externally purchased finance management solution with an in-house version.

"We believe in utilising technology to streamline operations and minimise costs," Dr Mugisha explained. "By developing our own IT solutions, we ensure they are tailored to our specific needs, avoiding costly vendor lock-ins."

Concluding his remarks, Dr Mugisha once again emphasised the critical importance of partnerships in achieving the goal of water and sanitation for all. He called on all stakeholders to work together, stressing the immense potential for shared learning and mutual benefits.