Uganda: Most Ugandan Homes Lack Water and Toilets

What the report says

Afrobarometer’s latest Uganda survey, distributed by AllAfrica and dated 2 September 2026, paints a mixed picture of household access to water and sanitation. The findings indicate that half of Ugandans said they went without enough clean water at least once in the previous year, and about one in five reported shortages many times or always. The report says water supply ranks behind health, education and roads among the issues people most want government to address.

The survey points to sharp urban-rural gaps. Rural residents were more likely than urban residents to name water supply as a priority, and they were also more likely to rely on boreholes or tubewells rather than piped water. According to the report, fewer than two-fifths of communities had a piped-water system, while only a very small share of respondents said their main water source was inside the home. Most said their water source was outside their compound.

Sanitation access also appears limited. The report says only a small share of enumeration areas had a sewage system, with coverage much higher in Kampala and other urban areas than in rural parts of the country. It also says only a few respondents had a toilet or latrine in the house, while most used facilities outside the compound.

Despite these gaps, a majority of respondents approved of the government’s performance on water and sanitation. The report adds that the results fit a broader pattern of long-running pressure on Uganda’s water systems, especially as population growth and urbanization increase demand.