JINJA CITY, Uganda: For years, thousands of households across Busoga have faced a daily struggle to access clean and reliable water, with many families relying on boreholes that frequently run dry, overcrowded public taps and erratic piped water supply.
The burden has fallen heavily on women and children, who often spend hours searching for water instead of engaging in productive activities, attending school or running businesses.
However, relief is now in sight following the commencement of a major water infrastructure project in Jinja City that is expected to significantly improve water access across the sub-region.
The Ministry of Water and Environment has embarked on the construction and expansion of the Masese Water Treatment Plant, a Shs12 billion project fully funded by the Government of Uganda and designed to increase clean water supply to Jinja and surrounding districts.
Officials say the project will not only strengthen water supply within Jinja City but will also enable the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) to extend services to several districts in Busoga that continue to experience limited access to piped water.
The districts expected to benefit include Kaliro, Iganga, Namutumba, Mayuge and other neighbouring areas where water demand has continued to outstrip existing supply.
Speaking during a media briefing at the NWSC Jinja offices, the corporation’s Jinja Area Manager, Mr Badiru Wandwasi, said the current Masese facility can no longer adequately meet the growing water needs of the region.
“In these districts, people are still getting small volumes of piped water because the plant in Masese is not sufficient to provide water in those areas,” Wandwasi explained.
According to NWSC, the greater Jinja area currently consumes between two and three million litres of water daily, placing immense pressure on the existing infrastructure.
As urban centres continue to expand and population growth accelerates, officials say investment in additional treatment and distribution capacity has become unavoidable.
To address the challenge, NWSC is also installing six new high-capacity pumps that will draw more raw water from Lake Victoria for treatment and distribution.
The new pumping system is expected to substantially improve water abstraction capacity and support the expanded treatment plant.
“National Water and Sewerage Corporation is in the process of installing six big pumps that draw water from the lake because the existing ones are not enough to draw water from the lake such that people in areas of Jinja, Njeru, Magamaga and Buwenge can get water services,” Wandwasi said.
Officials believe the combined investment in the treatment plant and pumping infrastructure will significantly reduce water shortages that have persisted in many communities for years.
Once completed, the project is expected to increase the number of households connected to piped water, improve service reliability and support growing industrial and commercial activities across Busoga.
The development is also expected to generate wider social and economic benefits, including improved public health, reduced time spent collecting water and increased productivity among households and businesses.
For many residents, the Masese expansion project represents more than a water investment.
It is a long-awaited intervention that promises to improve the quality of life, strengthen economic opportunities and secure the future water needs of one of Uganda’s fastest-growing regions.
With construction already underway, Busoga’s decades-long struggle with inadequate water supply may finally be approaching a turning point.
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