Sh346b water project targets supply gaps in Greater Kampala
NWSC managing director Eng. Dr Silver Mugisha said construction is progressing well, with about 25 kilometres of the planned pipeline network already laid.
Eng. Silver Mugisha (L), Managing Director of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), speaks to officials from NWSC and Sogea during his visit to the Kanyanya Reservoir Station to inspect its construction. (Photo by Edward Luyimbaazi).
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A sh346b water distribution project is being implemented across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area (GKMA) to address growing supply gaps caused by rapid urbanisation and an expanding population.
The project, being implemented by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), seeks to expand and restructure the water distribution network in Kampala, Wakiso, Mukono and Buikwe districts, enabling more residents to access reliable piped water.
It is aimed at addressing a major challenge facing the metropolitan area: inadequate infrastructure to distribute treated water to rapidly growing communities despite increased water production capacity.
NWSC managing director Eng. Dr Silver Mugisha said construction is progressing well, with about 25 kilometres of the planned pipeline network already laid.
He said a 10-million-litre reservoir is also being constructed at Kanyanya as part of the system supplying water to northeastern Kampala.
Mugisha said NWSC will closely monitor implementation, with his team expected to inspect the project every three months to ensure the works remain on schedule and meet the required standards.
He said the project will improve the reliability of water supply across Greater Kampala and ease pressure on existing systems, particularly the Gaba system serving Muyenga and surrounding areas.
“Once this part of Kampala, the northeastern part, is properly served with this project from Katosi, then we shall have the Gaba system, which goes to Muyenga, relieved,” Mugisha told New Vision.
He made the remarks on September 2, 2026, at the Kanyanya site in Kampala during an inspection of four project sites, including Kungu, Naluvule and Kabulengwa Hill.
Mugisha said the Gaba system is currently under pressure because communities without direct access to the network depend on supply from Muyenga.
“Because right now it is very stressed, because most of these parts which don't have water have to get it from Muyenga. So, once it is relieved, then we shall have more water on the other side of southwestern Kampala,” he said.
The Rehabilitation, Restructuring, Rezoning and Extension of the GKMA Water Supply Network Project has a contract value of €92.4 million (about sh346 billion).
The works are being executed by Sogea Satom under the supervision of ARTELIA–Gauff Association, the consulting engineers.
The development forms part of the wider Kampala Water-Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (KW_LV WATSAN) Project, primarily financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), with additional support from the European Union, European Investment Bank and KfW.
David Gaunt, senior resident engineer at Artelia-Gauff Consulting Uganda, said the consultant is working closely with the contractor to keep the project on schedule while maintaining construction and quality standards.
“It’s really very much a joint effort, and at the same time trying to maintain the quality standards which are needed to allow this work to last for 50 years and more, probably,” Gaunt said.
He described the contractor as conscientious, noting that the tidiness of the site contributes to a safe working environment.
Gaunt said the project has sufficient capacity to meet its objectives, although additional resources may be required to accelerate some pipeline works.
Katosi capacity waiting for network
The project follows the completion of the Katosi Water Treatment Plant in 2021, which significantly increased Kampala’s water production capacity.
Before Katosi, the Ggaba water treatment plant produced about 240 million litres per day against demand of approximately 300 million litres, creating a daily deficit of about 60 million litres.
Katosi added another 160 million litres per day, increasing Kampala Water’s production capacity to approximately 400 million litres per day, enough to meet current demand.
The plant can also be expanded to produce up to 240 million litres per day by adding another 80-million-litre production line.
However, increased treatment capacity does not automatically translate into access for all residents because the distribution network has not kept pace with rapid urbanisation.
Project details indicate that Katosi currently operates at about 52% capacity, partly because of historical gaps in the distribution network.
The new project is therefore intended to bridge the gap between water production and access by constructing transmission mains, reservoirs and booster stations, while reorganising existing supply zones.
Under the project, NWSC is constructing 71 kilometres of transmission mains, ranging from DN250 to DN1000.
Three reservoirs are being constructed: a 10-million-litre concrete tank at Kanyanya, a 3.89-million-litre steel tank at Kabulengwa and a one-million-litre steel tank at Mutungo.
Two booster stations at Kungu and Kabulengwa will improve water pressure and facilitate distribution to areas farther from the main supply infrastructure.
The project will also enhance the Kampala Water Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) network to improve monitoring and management of the distribution system.
A key component is the 7.7-kilometre DN1000 low-level pipeline running from Namugongo through Bulindo, Nsasa and Mulawa to Kira-Kasangati Road.
The section is scheduled to be ready for service from December 2026, with completion targeted for July 2027.
Once operational, it is expected to provide early relief to residents in Namugongo, Kira, Buwaate, Bulindo, Mulawa, Kasangati and surrounding areas.
Wider coverage
Upon completion, the project is expected to improve water services across communities served through the Wakiso, Kakiri, Gayaza, Nansana, Kanyanya, Luteete and Matugga branches.
The targeted areas include Wakiso Town, Gombe, Mende, Nkoowe, Kavumba, Namasanga and Kisimbiri; Kakiri, Sebi, Kigaga, Nakyelongosa, Kitereede and Busujja; and Kasangati, Bulamu, Namavundu, Kayebe, Kitegomba, Gitta and Wampewo.
Other beneficiaries include communities around Nansana, Wamala, Katooke, Gganda, Kawoko, Kabulengwa, Kyebando and Nabweru, as well as Kanyanya, Mpererwe, Kyanja, Kiteezi, Lusanja, Masooli, Kitetika and Nangabo.
Matugga and surrounding communities, including Kungu, Kito, Katalemwa, Kagoma, Kawanda, Maganjo and Kisimu, are also expected to benefit.
The project is intended to provide the missing link between Kampala’s increased water production capacity and its rapidly growing urban population by ensuring treated water from Katosi reaches communities where demand is increasing.
With works progressing and the first major pipeline expected to provide relief from late 2026, NWSC is relying on expanded, better-zoned and more efficiently managed infrastructure to close water supply gaps across Greater Kampala and meet the metropolitan area’s water needs through 2040.