NWSC says Package 2B will ease Greater Kampala water shortages

What the report says

The National Water and Sewerage Corporation says its Package 2B network expansion is meant to ease water shortages in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area by improving distribution from the Katosi Water Treatment Plant. The Shs350 billion project, discussed during an inspection on Wednesday, is being used to expand and reorganise the network so more treated water can reach fast-growing communities and reduce pressure on older systems such as Ggaba.

NWSC managing director Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha said the utility is focusing more on moving water through the system than simply increasing production. He said the project should help meet demand through 2040 and urged the contractor and supervising consultant to keep the works on schedule and within budget. The project began in February 2025 and, according to NWSC, is about 35% complete.

The works include about 70 kilometres of transmission mains, three reservoirs, booster stations at Kungu and Kabulengwa, and an upgraded control system. NWSC says about 25 kilometres of pipe have already been laid, while some components are more advanced than others. The contractor expects completion in 2027, but some sections may be handed over earlier; the Namugongo-Kasangati line is expected by the end of this year, and another bulk pipeline could be ready by December 2026.

The project is financed mainly by the French Development Agency, with support from the EU, the European Investment Bank and Germany’s KfW. In general, large urban water projects like this are often used to keep pace with population growth and ageing infrastructure, and NWSC says the expanding Kampala area has made that need more urgent.