By Patrick Jaramogi
Ugandans have started year 2016 on a bad note for paying the price for water shortage and continuous water rationing by National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC). Similarly Umeme is not doing any better as power outages continue to wreak havoc among the business community.
The managing director National Water and Sewerage Corporation Eng. Silver Mugisha explains that the shortage is due to increased demand for water in the city. Mugisha who joined NWSC replacing long serving Dr. William Muhairwe said Kampala demand for water now stands at 230 million litres a day yet NWSC produces only 190 million litres with a shortfall of close to 50 million litres a day.
But this refuted by a cross section of his senior engineers who accuse him of being part of the mess leading to increase water rationing.
Some sections of Kampala like Kamwokya, Mutungo, Naguru, Mulago and Kulambiro residents now have sleepless nights because they have to spend the better part of the night fetching water since its only then when the pressure is high.
Mugisha attributes the shortage due to the dry spell that has forced the water levels low at the Ggaba main pumping plant. But this contradicts the meteorological departments who told the nation that the heavy rains and anticipated El-nino would last until February (next month).
NWSC Engineers speak out
But the Investigator has learnt from senior engineers at National Water and Sewerage Corporation that the problem is far from over. A senior engineer with a span of over 10 years at NWSC confided in the Investigator and said Eng. Silver Mugisha was “failing”. The engineer whose names have been concealed to prevent a reprimand said the Managing director was handling the corporation like his father’s company.
Engineers at National Water and Sewerage Corporation
“Let us be realistic. For how long did Dr. Muhairwe serve as managing director and we had such severe water shortages and rationing. The problem is not the water levels. But the management,” said the engineer. He said; “I am speaking as a senior engineer and Mugisha is an engineer too, those doubting should visit the Ggaba pumping plant and see for themselves.” He said that whenever water levels reduce, the pipe is extended some meters deep into the lake to get more water.
So what is the problem?
According to scores of engineers who spoke in confidence to the Investigator, the issue of intrigue, nepotisms and favouritisms’ is beginning to hurt the corporation. “This man came and got very senior engineers like us but he has begun to under look us and recruit young inexperienced staff majority his tribe mates (Ed. Note. Efforts to clarify this allegation from the Human Resource department proved futile). And this is the reason we are facing water shortages. Mugisha is no longer listening to the advice of senior NWSC engineers,” said a top water engineer.
The engineers noted with concern that their Managing director now takes his new young cadre recruits as his “gods”. “These new boys know nothing so since he no longer listens to us we sit and watch as the situation deteriorates,” said another.
Eng. Mugisha responds
Speaking at a press briefing last Friday, Dr Silver Mugisha, said during the months of January to March, NWSC usually experiences severe dry spell that affects their capacity to deliver water to its clients.
He however noted that measures were in place to address the challenges. He said the Ggaba project would be boosted to produce the needed shortfall of 50 million litres a day.
“By next month an additional six million litres would be added from the Centenary Park located new Gunhill plant. We hope to hit at least 250 million litres soon to address the shortfalls,” he said. When contacted on Friday to respond to allegations of nepotism and favouring young in-experienced new engineers, Eng. Mugisha declined to pick our calls.