Defense, Prisons, Mulago owe NWSC sh20bn

National Water and Sewerage Cooperation (NWSC) has given a one week ultimatum to the Army, Prisons Service and Mulago to pay their water bills.

NWSC executive director, Silver Mugisha said the institutions owe the cooperation sh19.8bn.

While addressing journalists at Ggaba Water Plant, Mugisha said if the institutions fail to pay within a week's time "we shall have no option but to disconnect them".

According to Mugisha, Mulago owes NWSC sh800m, Prisons sh12bn and Defense sh7bn.

"I got a call two days ago from the Ministry of Finance's Permanent Secretary, that he had instructed all the ministries to pay their water bills. The money he gives them, he wants the first call to pay the water bills" he said.

"Now we are giving these particular institutions one week. If they don't pay, they will be disconnected. Of course we feel very sorry that we can be tempted to disconnect Mulago but we thought the administration of Mulago is going to work very quickly with the ministry of finance and make sure NWSC does not disconnect them," he added.

Mugisha also disclosed that there would a 12 hour water shutdown in parts of Kampala and neighbouring areas following the planned upgrade and interconnection work at the Ggaba plant on Thursday.

All city dwellers have been urged to store enough water ahead of the shutdown.

Areas to be affected include; Muyenga, Jinja Road, Kyambogo, Mutungo, Luzira, Mbuya, Banda, Seeta, Mukono, Rubaga, Bulenga, Buloba, Nansana, Namirembe, Nakulabye, Kawempe, Matuga, parts of Makerere, Mulago, City Center, Nsambya and surrounding areas.   

This follows the completion of the Kampala Water Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation (KW-LVWATSAN) Rehabilitation and Water Production Capacity Optimization of Ggaba Water Treatment Complex and Minor Transmissions Mains Improvement which has been going on for the last two years. The project cost €39.8m (about sh140bn).

The water production manager Kampala, Eng. Andrew Muhwezi said with the new system, they intend to increase water supply from 190million litres to 240 in the next few months. 

He said the new system is intended to add 50 million litres of water per day to Kampala Water Supply Area, stressing that they have already increased production by 23million per day.

He said the overall production has increased to 210million daily.