KAMPALA: At a time when Uganda’s economic resilience is under growing scrutiny, the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) used the Musevenomics Conference to confirm the essential role of water infrastructure in driving inclusive growth and industrial transformation.
Held at Mestil Hotel in Kampala from May 29th to 30th, the high-level forum brought together economists, policymakers, development experts, and civil society leaders under the theme “Sustaining Musevenomics: Navigating Uganda’s Economic Future in a Disrupted World.” Organized by the Uganda Development Forum (UDF), the conference examined Uganda’s economic path under President Yoweri Museveni’s pragmatic model of development, popularly referred to as “Musevenomics.”
During the conference, NWSC Managing Director, Dr. Eng. Silver Mugisha, joined an expert panel where he made a clear argument, that without reliable, affordable water supply, Uganda’s productive sectors cannot thrive. He noted that water plays an enabling role in reducing the cost of doing business across agriculture, manufacturing, and services, making it more than just a utility, but a driver of national productivity.
Dr. Mugisha outlined how NWSC’s infrastructure expansion has been deliberately aligned with the country’s development priorities. From just 23 towns a decade ago, NWSC now operates in 276 towns, serving over 19.5 million Ugandans, with a target to reach 32 million by 2033. He also revealed the rapid growth of the corporation’s water network, from 6,000 to 23,000 kilometers, and a plan to expand to 30,000 kilometers within the same timeframe.
This growth has been backed by a sharp increase in NWSC’s asset base, now valued at UGX 4.6 trillion, up from UGX 650 billion. However, Dr. Mugisha acknowledged that the corporation’s financial sustainability is still a work in progress, with just 63% of its operational costs currently recovered from internally generated revenue. He therefore called for stronger policy support, particularly in the prompt settlement of government arrears, to help stabilize NWSC’s finances and sustain growth momentum.
Beyond infrastructure and service coverage, the corporation’s social impact was also spotlighted. NWSC’s pro-poor tariff model, which provides affordable rates to low-income households and industries, is helping promote equity while maintaining industrial competitiveness.
Speaking on the second day of the conference, NWSC Deputy Managing Director for Technical Services, Eng. Johnson Amayo, reinforced the message that water is not just a basic need but a key input in industrialization, agriculture, and urban development, all pillars of the Musevenomics approach. He highlighted the utility’s industrial tariff of UGX 2,500 per unit as a deliberate measure to keep production costs low and support business growth.
Eng. Amayo also noted that continuous investment in expanding and modernizing water infrastructure is essential to unlocking Uganda’s full economic potential, emphasising that NWSC’s work goes beyond supplying clean water since it plays an active role in enabling wealth creation by extending access to this essential service in both urban and rural areas.
Throughout the conference, speakers repeatedly returned to one common thread, that Uganda’s economic transformation depends on tackling structural constraints. Land reforms, better access to finance and inputs, improved service delivery, and public-private collaboration were identified as key enablers of long-term, inclusive growth.
For the NWSC, its commitment to infrastructure-led development, affordable service delivery, and sustainable growth, positions it as a foundation institution in Uganda’s economic journey.
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