The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) says its Package 2B network expansion, rehabilitation and re-zoning project will help end recurring water shortages across the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area by expanding the capacity to distribute treated water to consumers.
The project is also expected to enable NWSC to utilise the full output of the Katosi Water Treatment Plant as demand for water continues to rise across the rapidly growing metropolitan area.
NWSC managing director, Eng Dr Silver Mugisha, made the remarks on Wednesday during an inspection tour of the Package 2B works, which include the construction of new transmission mains, reservoirs and booster stations in parts of Kampala and Wakiso.
Dr Mugisha said the project would address immediate supply challenges in fast-growing communities while creating sufficient network capacity to meet projected demand up to 2040.
He said NWSC was deliberately shifting its focus from increasing water production to strengthening distribution so that treated water already available can reach consumers who currently experience shortages.
“The demand for water in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Service Area is growing every day, and customers need answers. The project must be completed within time and budget,” Dr Mugisha said.
He said the Government through NWSC, was implementing Package 2B to address water-supply challenges and stabilise service delivery for the area’s rapidly expanding population.
According to NWSC, the Katosi Water Treatment Plant, which added 160 million litres of water per day to the city’s supply when it became operational, is currently operating at about 52 per cent of its capacity because the existing distribution network cannot transport all the treated water to consumers.
Dr Mugisha described Package 2B as the missing link that will enable NWSC to evacuate more water from Katosi and distribute it across Greater Kampala
He also directed NWSC engineers to begin work on an additional water-evacuation line from Katosi, whose ultimate production capacity is projected at 240 million litres per day.
He said Package 2B would enable the corporation to evacuate the plant’s current output of 160 million litres per day, while the additional line would allow more water to be transported as production increases.
“We have a lot of water at Katosi, and plans are under way to evacuate more and serve Kampala,” he said.
Dr Mugisha said increased reliance on Katosi would also ease pressure on the older Ggaba water works.
The contractor told NWSC management that although the entire Package 2B project is scheduled for completion in 2027, it is pursuing sectional handovers to allow completed sections of the network to be commissioned before the whole project is finished.
The Namugongo-Kasangati transmission line is expected to be commissioned by the end of 2026.
Dr Mugisha welcomed the phased approach, saying NWSC would begin supplying water through completed sections instead of waiting for the entire project to be completed.
He said he was encouraged by the pace of pipe-laying in Nansana, Katooke, Kawempe and other areas, noting that all project sites were adequately mobilised.
Dr Mugisha pledged to inspect the project quarterly and directed the contractor and supervising consultant to submit an acceleration plan and quarterly progress reports showing tangible progress on the ground.
He also urged the contractor and supervising consultant to work closely to ensure the project is delivered on time and to the required quality standards.
Eng Paddy Twesigye, NWSC senior director for projects and capital development, reiterated the corporation’s commitment to improving the reliability of water supply across its areas of operation.
NWSC deputy managing director for technical services, Eng Johnson Amayo, urged the contractor to conduct adequate pressure testing of the new pipelines to minimise the risk of leaks and bursts after commissioning.
Project consultant David Gaunt pledged to deliver quality works within the agreed timelines, saying the infrastructure was being designed to serve Kampala for decades.
“We are looking at a project that will last over 50 years,” Gaunt said.
He commended the contractor, Sogea Satom, describing it as an internationally recognised company with experience in delivering durable infrastructure project.
Alex Gisagara, NWSC senior director for engineering services, said the corporation had developed internal capacity to operate and maintain the infrastructure once construction is completed.
“Our team is already handling the Katosi and Kagera water works, which are new. Once Katosi Package 2B is done, our team is ready to effectively manage and maintain the system,” Gisagara said.
He said the project which started in February 2025, was progressing well, with about 25 kilometres of the approximately 70-kilometre transmission network already laid.
€92.4m project
Formally known as the Rehabilitation, Restructuring, Rezoning and Extension of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area Water Supply Network Project, Package 2B is principally financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), with support from the European Union, the European Investment Bank and Germany’s KfW.
Sogea Satom is executing the works under the supervision of the ARTELIA-Gauff Association at a contract value of approximately €92.4 million.
The project involves laying about 70 kilometres of transmission mains, construction three reservoirs and establishing two booster stations.
The reservoirs include 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.
Booster stations are being constructed at Kungu and Kabulengwa, while the Kampala Water SCADA control system is also being upgraded.
NWSC says the project is currently about 35 per cent complete.
The Kungu booster station is the most advanced component at approximately 70 per cent, followed by the Kabulengwa booster station at 65 per cent and the Mutungo reservoir at 55 per cent. Pipe-laying is approximately one-third complete.
All components are scheduled for completion in 2027.
However, NWSC says residents will begin benefiting from completed sections before then.
A 7.7-kilometre bulk transmission pipeline running from Namugongo through Bulindo, Nsasa and Mulawa to the Kira-Kasangati road is expected to be ready by December 2026.
The pipeline is expected to improve water supply in Namugongo, Kira, Buwaate, Bulindo, Mulawa, Kasangati and surrounding communities.
Upon completion, the upgraded network is expected to improve water supply to communities across Kampala and Wakiso, including Kira, Kasangati, Gayaza, Matugga, Kawempe, Nansana, Wakiso, Kakiri, Kanyanya, Luteete and surrounding areas.
The project comes amid rapid population growth in Greater Kampala.
The 2024 National Population and Housing Census put the combined population of Kampala and Wakiso districts at more than 5.2 million people, with Wakiso emerging as Uganda’s most populous district.
NWSC says the rapid growth has placed sustained pressure on water infrastructure that, in some areas, is ageing and unevenly distributed.
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