Umeme, NWSC in the spotlight as Luwero taps run dry

Luwero, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The administration of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) and the electricity distributor Umeme are embroiled in a dispute over the recurring water issue in Luwero Town Council, Luwero District. By Sunday afternoon, households connected to the NWSC system had endured four days without running water from their taps.

Consequently, they resorted to seeking water from boreholes and alternative sources.   This outage occurred just a week after a similar incident. In response, Daniel Mugoya, Manager of the NWSC Luwero Branch, issued a statement titled “Water Supply Interruption-Luwero,” attributing the problem to power outages. He indicated that there was no water supply within Luwero Town Council and neighboring districts, including Butuntumula Sub-County and Luwero Sub-County.

Mugoya clarified that water production would resume once power was restored and stated that NWSC had reached out to Umeme to address the issue. Meanwhile, customers were urged to use the available water sparingly. The ongoing power supply inconsistency, characterized by frequent outages, has caused inconvenience and financial losses for businesses reliant on electricity.

Umeme’s Head of Communications, Peter Kaujju, acknowledged the technical problem at the Kawanda Substation and assured that efforts were underway to rectify the issue and restore power.

The water challenges in Luwero have persisted since 2021, with successive incidents attributed to various causes. The previous disruption in late February 2024 was attributed to the ongoing construction of the Luwero-Kiwoko road. Mugoya confirmed this issue, stating that disruptions in the water delivery system resulted from the road construction, though it was later resolved.

Previous instances in December 2023, September 2023, and October 2021 were linked to power outages and weather-related infrastructure damage, underscoring the complex nature of the water supply challenges faced by the residents of Luwero.

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