AHMEDABAD, India: Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha, the managing director of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation, is calling on public utilities to transform into customer-centric service providers to survive the dual pressures of climate change and rapid urbanization.
Speaking Friday at the Global South Academic Conclave 2026 at CEPT University, Mugisha said utilities now sit at the intersection of climate resilience, public finance, governance and social equity.
Uganda’s national water utility has evolved from a struggling entity into a high-performing enterprise through management reforms and digital innovation, Mugisha told the summit. He described a shift from a “broken” state before 1998, characterized by low service coverage, to an era of institutional growth.
“Today, NWSC operates in over 287 towns, up from 23 in 2013,” Mugisha said.
The utility now manages more than 1 million water connections serving over 22 million people. Mugisha disclosed that the corporation’s annual turnover grew from 170 billion shillings to 622 billion shillings over the past decade.
“Engineering builds systems, but service delivery builds trust,” Mugisha told the conclave. He attributed this growth to a business model that prioritizes operational efficiency and service equity over simple asset expansion.
The managing director highlighted the role of homegrown digital systems that allow for real-time monitoring, data-driven decision-making and improved billing efficiency. Despite these gains, he noted that the company still faces challenges from climate variability and the growth of informal settlements.
“Success does not mean the absence of problems; it means having better tools to confront them,” he said.
While water coverage has expanded, Mugisha admitted that sanitation infrastructure lags behind due to high costs. He said utilities must find a balance between affordability for the public and commercial sustainability.
To improve service, the corporation established a strategic research committee. Mugisha cited a recent accuracy study of 1,200 water meters as an example of evidence-based decision-making. He called for stronger partnerships between researchers and utilities to find practical solutions to operational hurdles.
Under the NWSC Corporate Plan 2024-2027, the utility aims to serve 26 million people across 350 towns by 2030. The plan focuses on climate stewardship and equity for residents in informal settlements who are most vulnerable to water scarcity.
Other NWSC officials at the summit included Martin Kalibbala, senior manager for performance management, and Penninah Nabireeba, manager of the Kampala Industrial Area branch. Nabireeba credited partnerships with the Gates Foundation and CEPT University for helping accelerate service delivery.
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