The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) has entered into a strategic partnership with Luwero Industries Limited to enhance water supply efficiency and strengthen engineering capabilities in Uganda.
The collaboration, formalized in Kampala, aims to reduce operational costs, foster innovation, and promote local production of water infrastructure equipment, marking a significant step toward self-reliance in the country’s water and sanitation sector.
Dr. Silver Mugisha, Managing Director of NWSC, highlighted the importance of the partnership, emphasizing the need to optimize existing government-funded equipment. “This collaboration is critical for us,” Dr. Mugisha said.
“We are currently in the process of replacing pumps at key installations like Ggaba, but importing new pumps can take up to six months. Working with Luwero Industries allows us to recondition and recalibrate our existing equipment, ensuring that backup pumps are always available in case of breakdowns.”
Water supply challenges in Kampala, particularly during periods of extreme weather, have exacerbated demand while drying up vital water sources. As a short-term solution, NWSC is installing higher-capacity pumps and implementing bulk rationing to serve water-stressed areas. Additionally, the Kampala Water Supply Network rationalization and expansion project is underway to improve distribution.
This project, which began in January 2025, will see the construction of 72 kilometers of new piping, as well as new reservoirs and booster pumping stations.
Through this partnership, NWSC aims to build in-house troubleshooting, repair, and maintenance capacity, reducing dependency on foreign spare parts and minimizing long procurement delays.
“We’ve often had to replace equipment frequently, but now we’ll focus on maintenance and rehabilitation,” Dr. Mugisha noted. The partnership will also promote local research and development, enabling Uganda to manufacture its own engineering solutions, which aligns with President Yoweri Museveni’s vision of homegrown solutions for self-reliance.
Luwero Industries, with its specialized workshop machinery and precision equipment, will play a pivotal role in enhancing the efficiency of NWSC’s operations. The partnership will allow for the local production of spare parts, reducing downtime and improving the overall water production schedules.
Eng. Andrew Muhwezi of NWSC further stressed that Luwero Industries’ capabilities would significantly improve the efficiency of repairs and maintenance across the network.
The collaboration, which is set for an initial duration of three years, will also focus on capacity development, wastewater management, and material testing.
With a shared commitment to improving water access for all Ugandans, this partnership promises to not only enhance water supply efficiency but also to foster long-term, sustainable solutions for the country’s water challenges.
