President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has commissioned the expansion and rehabilitation of Sembabule water supply system.
The President urged the residents to protect the water resources in the area jealously and use the new installations to improve their livelihoods
The National Water and Sewerage Corporation took over operations of the Sembabule
town water supply systems in April 2016 and Mateete and Ntusi town systems in March 2018 respectively from private operators supervised
The management of the two water supply systems had been under Private Operators supervised by the Ministry of Water and Environment.
*Works done since take over*
– Improvement of the water quality.
– Improvement and increase in the supply times.
– Extension of water transmission mains from the town to the neighbouring villages within Sembabule district.
– replacement of sections of the old network with new transmission mains
*Ongoing water mains extensions*
• 10kms of water mains extension from Rwendahi Trading Center to Kabundi Trading Center.
•65kms of water mains extension from Sembabule main reservoir to Lugusulu Trading Center
*Planned works*
•3.7kms of water mains from Kikoma trading Center to Kandinanseko and Gulu villages
•2kms of water mains extension from Kikoma trading Center to kawanga
•3kms of water mains extension Sembabule reservoir to Rwendahi Trading Center
•3.5kms of water mains extension from Sembabule Police station to Rwajurwamijwara villages.
•1.2kms of water mains extension from Sembabule town council to Kengo
•A total of 14 Public water mains
The residents shared that during the rainy season, people in unserved areas draw water for domestic consumption from runoff ponds which usually dry out during the dry season forcing them to trek over 10km looking for water at the Kyoga swamp and Katonga river as the only nearby sources of water.
Speaking at the commissioning ceremony, NWSC MD Dr.Eng Silver Mugisha shared that the corporation is going to install a number of Public water points to reduce the influence of middle men who sell water in the area between 500shs to 1000shs. The NWSC recommended price for a 20 litre jerrycan is Shs 25shs at public water points, 78shs at domestic rate, 79shs on the Institution/Govt tariff and 97shs on Commercial tariff.
NWSC is working on installing over 20,000 public water points, 14,000 new connections, 8000kms of water mains extension in over 12,000 new villages across the country under the Service coverage Acceleration Programme (SCAP 100) an initiative by the government of Uganda through NWSC.” he added.
According to the NWSC Board chairman Dr.Eng Christopher Ebal, the government of Uganda through NWSC initiated the Service coverage Acceleration Programme to improve access to safe water in over 12,000 villages in Uganda in line with the 2040 government’s vision of water for all. The people of Sembabule have been among the first beneficiaries of this programme.” he shared.
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