Africa-Press – Uganda. The National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) managemnt has revealed that the Katosi Water Plant in Mukono is operating at only 52 percent and is, therefore, unable to supply the entire Kampala Metropolitan Area as previously planned prior to its construction.
While presenting the corporation’s performance report to the Deputy Speaker, Mr Thomas Tayebwa, who visited the plant yesterday, the company’s managing director, Mr Silver Mugisha, said NWSC requires an additional €45 million (Shs180.2 billion) to address the issue.
“We now have €60 million (Shs240.2 billion). We need another €40 million (Shs160 billion) or €45 million (Shs180.2 billion) which makes it €105 million (Shs420.4 billion) to be able to do the last mile of the project,” Mr Mugisha said, adding, “So the request of the top up of the €45 million (Shs180.2 billion) was already approved by the President. It is now going to Cabinet and then from there it will go to Parliament.”
Not happy
Mr Tayebwa, who was in company of the area Members of Parliament, was pleased with the progress of the works at the plant but was disappointed to note that the firm was underutilised.
He pledged to offer the requisite support once the financial request gets to Parliament.
“We are really glad because as a House, when we pass these loans, we get concerned with absorption. So I want to congratulate national water and Ministry of Water in General for full absorption and delivering on what we agreed with them. What we have seen now is that the plant is underutilised because 52 percent capacity is being utilised. That means that we have money lying idle here,” Mr Tayebwa said.
He added: “So we must support national water to ensure that indeed the rest of the areas that don’t have water do get.”
The Katosi water treatment plant was completed in July 2021 and was expected to pump upto 160,000 cubic metres (160 million litres) of water daily, expandable to 240,000 cubic metres (240 million litres) daily.
From the plant, water is pumped to the new Nsumba reservoirs. The water then reaches Kampala via Mukono-Seeta-Sonde-Namugongo areas.
Whereas the government had among other things planned to use the plant to ease the demand on the Ggaaba Water Plant, the NWSC management said this is yet to be realised.
Mr Mugisha also reported that some of the money meant for the project was spent paying for electricity.
Mr Mugisha reported that his entity pays a minimum of Shs800 million every month to Umeme. He asked the Ministry of Energy to compel officials at Umeme to revise the tariff plan of NWSC.
“We want to request the government through the Ministry of Energy to put us on the industrial tariff. So, if we are put on that subsidised tariff that other industries are using, we shall be able to leverage more funds to be able to reach more Ugandans. I hope if this request is put to the Ministry of Energy, they will be able to receive positive feedback,” Mr Mugisha said.
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