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Rapid urbanisation, population growth and climate variability have strained existing networks, leading to intermittent supply in some areas
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Millions of residents in northern and western Kampala are poised to benefit from more reliable water supply as the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), with financing from the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), accelerates a major network expansion connecting the Katosi Water Treatment Plant to the city’s fast-growing suburbs.
The project, part of a wider rehabilitation, restructuring and extension of the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area water network, aims to stabilise supply across what NWSC calls “Kampala Water City” and to address chronic bottlenecks that have kept the plant operating at half its capacity.
French Ambassador to Uganda Virginie Leroy, who toured the project last week, described the €480 million French-funded Package 2B as a strategic investment to translate high production at Katosi into reliable access for consumers. She highlighted the project’s dual focus: infrastructure efficiency and social inclusion.
“Kampala is growing rapidly, and ensuring that water production meets demand is not just an engineering challenge, it is a social and economic imperative,” Leroy said.
She also noted that the project integrates a pro-poor component, co-financed with KfW, which has already delivered 1,400 prepaid public standpipes and 64 sanitation facilities serving about 450,000 residents in informal settlements.
160 million litres per day
The Katosi plant has a maximum production capacity of 160 million litres per day but currently operates at around 52% due to constraints in transmission and distribution, according to plant manager Joseph Tweheyo Baine. The ongoing expansion aims to eliminate these bottlenecks through the construction of new reservoirs and extended pipelines to high-demand areas.
The infrastructure plan includes 70 kilometres of primary transmission pipelines and three major reservoirs at Kanyanya, Kabulengwa and Mutungo. The reservoirs range in capacity from one million litres to ten million litres and are designed to improve pressure management, balance supply and enhance resilience across the metropolitan network.
At Kanyanya Hill, excavation for a 10 million-litre reservoir is complete, while Mutungo Hill is seeing foundation works for a one million-litre elevated steel tank. Excavation at Kabulengwa Hill is set to begin in February ahead of constructing a 2.5 million-litre reinforced concrete reservoir.
Pipe-laying is underway along the Mpererwe–Kawempe–Nansana corridor, with completion of the entire project targeted for July 2027. A low-level bulk transmission line serving Kiira–Kasangati is scheduled to be finalised by December 2026 and will extend supply to Namugongo, Buwaate, Bulindo, Mulawa and surrounding communities.
For NWSC, the project represents both an operational and financial milestone. Since 2013, under Managing Director Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha, the utility has expanded from 23 towns to 287 nationwide, while its asset base has grown from Shs650 billion to roughly Shs5 trillion. It now serves over one million active water connections, reaching an estimated 22 million people. Under its 2024–2027 Corporate Plan, NWSC aims to increase connections to 1.1 million and extend services to 24 million Ugandans.
Alex Gisagara, NWSC senior adviser for engineering services, called the expansion the “missing link” in translating Katosi’s production capacity into tangible benefits for households. “It is not enough to generate water at the plant. Without transmission and storage infrastructure, production does not equate to supply,” he said.
The French-backed expansion also reflects broader trends in development finance. Following the effective use of initial financing, AFD approved additional funds in December 2025 to increase Katosi’s production by 80,000 cubic metres per day and extend the network by 50 kilometres. The programme also receives backing from the European Union and the European Investment Bank, illustrating the role of blended finance in addressing infrastructure gaps in rapidly urbanising African cities.
Analysts say the expansion is likely to have positive economic spillovers. Reliable water supply underpins industrial and residential development, reduces public health risks, and enhances investor confidence in Kampala’s property and business environment. It also reduces the pressure on informal water vendors, who often charge high rates for inconsistent supply.
Water challenges
Uganda faces ongoing challenges in water provision. Rapid urbanisation, population growth and climate variability have strained existing networks, leading to intermittent supply in some areas. By unlocking Katosi’s full capacity, the expansion could provide a more predictable service, helping to meet demand in key suburban hubs including Kira, Kasangati, Gayaza, Matugga, Kawempe, Nansana and Wakiso.
Completion of the Katosi upgrade is expected to stabilise supply by the end of the decade, delivering a strategic boost to Kampala’s water infrastructure.
