UBOS to map water sources to guide district planning

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District authorities will be able to identify the location of water sources and communities with inadequate supplies through a digital mapping system developed by the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS).

The system is intended to help local governments determine where to invest in water infrastructure and identify communities without reliable water supplies.

Dr Vincent Fred Senono, the deputy executive director of UBOS, said the bureau had developed a local government application containing information on water sources across the country.

The sources have also been georeferenced, allowing district officials to establish their exact locations and use the information when planning water projects.

“Knowing which communities lack reliable water and sanitation services helps public authorities decide where to invest and track whether those investments are reaching the people who need them,” Senono said.

He was speaking during a media briefing at Statistics House in Kampala on November 12, 2026, ahead of African Statistics Day, which will be marked on November 18.

Senono said the country also needed to pay attention to the quality of drinking water, rather than concentrating only on the number of households with access to water sources.

He cited findings from the 2022 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey, which showed that 89% of households were at risk of waterborne diseases because of contaminated drinking water.

This was despite more than 80% of households using sources classified as safe for drinking water.

Senono said the findings showed that access to a water source did not necessarily mean that the water consumed at home was free from contamination.

Thomas Rutaro, the UBOS director of Methodology and Statistical Coordination, said the bureau also collects environmental statistics covering wastewater and climate change.

The information is relevant to the country's water and sanitation planning, particularly as communities face challenges related to wastewater disposal and changing climatic conditions.

This year's African Statistics Day will be marked under the theme, Institutionalising Water and Sanitation Statistics for a Sustainable and Climate-Resilient Economy.

UBOS will hold a high-level dialogue on November 18, bringing together stakeholders in the water and sanitation sector to discuss policy issues and make recommendations.

The event will also feature the launch of the bureau's fourth strategic plan and service delivery standards for 2025/26–2029/30, according to Senono.

Other activities will include a seminar for statistics professionals, a students' symposium, blood donation exercises and tree planting.

The high-level dialogue will be opened by Dr Chris Ndatira Mukiza, the UBOS executive director and chief statistician.