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Nyamugasani Water Project Fuels 10-Fold Economy Drive in Kasese as Clean Water for All is Service Delivery Priority
KASESE – Hope is surging across communities in Bukhonzo East constituency, Kasese district, as construction of the massive World Bank-funded Nyamugasani Integrated Water Management Development Project (IWMDP) nears completion.
This critical infrastructure initiative is a significant stride in the Government of Uganda’s commitment to enhance service delivery and lays a foundational pillar for the 10-fold economy growth agenda and NRM Manifesto implementation.
Stakeholders, including technical teams from the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Department, officials from the Umbrella of Water and Sanitation, and district leaders, conducted a two-day site inspection and stakeholders’ meeting last week to ascertain progress and confirmed an impressive 88 percent.
Lt. Mate Magwara, the Resident District Commissioner (RDC), confirmed during the inspection that the overall progress stands at an impressive 88 percent as the project enters its final two months of the contract.
The project is being constructed under two lots and the contractors Zhongmei Engineering Group Ltd and Zhonghao Oversees Construction Co. Ltd commenced work last year in August.
“The project is in advanced stages because water is already here with all the required materials and equipment. The treatment plant, intake, reservoirs, and transmission lines show substantial progress,” Lt. Magwara stated.
The RDC applauded the contractors, Zhongmei Engineering Group Ltd (Lot 1) and Zhonghao Oversees Construction Company Limited (Lot 2), for their commitment, urging communities to champion sanitation by constructing toilets and to participate in planting trees, especially bamboo, to restore riverbanks.
Project Fast-Tracked for December Commissioning
To meet the target commissioning date, Eng. Olweny Lamu, the Acting Commissioner for the Rural Water Department, detailed the aggressive schedule for November. Works to be completed include the construction of the intake, water treatment plants works specifically the backwash tank, chemical house, rapid sand filters, the chlorine house, and several key reservoirs such as Musasa, Upper Kisinga, Lower Kisinga, Bwenanure and Kasonkero.
Eng. Carolyn Kasisira, the Project Manager, highlighted the immense scale of the project, which started on August 1, 2024.
Total pipeline length; the transmission, distribution and intensification pipes, will exceed 300km with reservoir tanks ranging from 125cubic meters to 400cubic meters.
The system is engineered to deliver 5588 cubic metres of water per day, which is adequate for constant supply to the communities.
The project shall provide 3000 promotional household service connections across 57 villages in eight sub-counties and three town councils.
The contractor is also installing climate resilient infrastructure, including a new filtration technology Automatic Valveless Gravity Filter (AVG), that will support the traditional rapid sand filters to allow for the required water standards for human consumption given the turbulent floods and heavy silt common in the mountainous region.
Improved Health and Economic Multiplier Effect
The impact on social service delivery is already being felt, especially in the health sector.
Immaculate Masika, a Nursing Officer at Kyarumba Health Centre II, expressed excitement over the imminent constant water supply and the progress on new sanitation facilities.
“As a health centre II, constant water supply is vital for patients, nurses, and staff. The availability of clean water will significantly reduce water-borne diseases such as diarrhea,” Masika noted.
She revealed that the facility attends to between 50 and 70 outpatients daily, with a significant number seeking treatment for hygiene- and water-related illnesses.
Additionally, to support sanitation and public health, the project has constructed 32 gender segregated lined VIP latrines in education institutions and a water borne toilet in a Health Centre III In Kyarumba.
The project is also poised to be a major economic catalyst, directly supporting the drive toward a 10-fold economy.
Tourism Boost: With the pipeline passing through Queen Elizabeth National Park, the availability of clean piped water will enable better service quality for hotels and lodges, directly increasing tourism revenue. Communities in and around the park shall no longer have to risk their lives walking in the park looking for water.
Land Appreciation: Land values in and around the project areas have already appreciated, confirming water’s role as a key driver for development.
Mr. Guma Robert, the Chairman of Buhakya Town Council pledged to sensitise the public on acquiring promotional connections to maximise access to the clean water and sanitation services, ensuring the government’s investment yields full benefit for the local population.
The project is also promoting environmental restoration with communities being offered seedlings for various tree species to boost tree planting to combat the effects of climate change. Additionally, all trees that were destroyed during the construction works are being restored.
Communities also receive HIV/AIDS and GBV (Gender Based Violence) awareness through the displays of HIV/AIDS awareness signages at all project sites to serve as constant reminders and continuous stakeholder engagements on the same through community advocacy meetings.
