Joshua Nahamya
Mbarara – The Kagera water project has stalled in Mbarara for 8 months following a stance of resistance from locals and politicians over compensation issues.
On July 1st, 2017 the government of Uganda earmarked Shs 8bln to pump water from River Kagera to improve water supply to water-stressed Mbarara city, Isingiro, and surrounding areas.
According to Denis Muramuzi, General Manager NWSC Mbarara, the project is committed to districts that were for decades depending on River Rwizi, which however, owing to prolonged dry spells and human activities, has drastically dried up, and can only produce 18mln litres a day. The other challenge, he said, has been institutions that use water on a large scale.
Denis Muramuzi, Generla Manager NWSC Mbarara. Joshua Nahamya(1)
“The government of Uganda secured a loan of 68 euros from the French development agency mainly to bring water from R. Kagera. The main reason why it did that was because our River Rwizi here every May, June, July, August, and September, it dries and we struggle to abstract water from there” Adding that, the Kagera water project is going to produce 30,000 cubic meters for Mbarara and Isingiro districts,” Muramuzi stated
He said that the first phase of the project will produce 30mln liters of water per day which is 30,000 cubic meters but Mbarara as a city, currently needs 22mln liters of water per day.
“Currently we can’t make further extensions because we are not sure of the water that we have in River Rwizi so the Kagera project is coming at the right time. We believe at the moment we will have enough water and as we make more extension, we will need far much more up to 25mln of water per day,” Muramuzi said
The project stands at 90 percent but Muramuzi said that they have received a lot of resistance from the residents in Katete ward who denied them a chance to pass the pipes through their land to be able to evacuate water from Bihunya to Boma tank to be gravitated to the water users in Mbarara City and the rest.
“Currently it is at 90% complete, the reservoirs are done, the intake is done, the treatment units are done and pipes are laid up to 55kms. We are only remaining with only 5kms to complete and mainly that is the pipeline from Bihunya reservoir in Katete to Boma reservoir,” he explained.
During an extraordinary council on Tuesday, Muramuzi highlighted some challenges faced by the project, including difficulties in obtaining permission to lay pipelines through Katete road, and also delays in installing a 1km section in Isingiro that have since stalled the project for 8 months.
“We are here in the extraordinary council meeting seeking a mandate for the councillors to allow us pass the water pipes in the carriageway on Katete Road for this Kagera water project because we have been stuck with where to pass the pipes since August 2025,” he said
The General Manager NWSC said that during the designs, the pipes were planned to be passed through the roads but unfortunately all the road reserves in Katete ward were encroached on by developers and slum dwellers leaving the contractor with no option but to dig beneath the main road.
“The challenge we have been having is that Katete ward is highly congested. Basically people constructed slums and they never spared a road reserve. It is a reason we are requesting the city council to allow us pass the pipeline within the carriageway such that we can complete this water project by 30th June, 2025,” Muramuzi noted
Residents against the demolising of their road as a result of Kagera water project.
He added the leaders themselves have not embraced passing the pipelines through the road fearing that at a later time, the pipes might affect the construction and improvement of the road works most especially on Katete road which was planned to be paved in the next financial year.
“There is no interference between the road works and the fixed water pipes because our managing director is a qualified civil engineer who wrote and committed to the city town clerk that the transmission pipe will be laid two meters deep so as not to affect the road works in future. This is a practice that is allowed internationally we’ve done it within the Kampala capital city where there is no road reserve, we pass the pipes in the carriageway and it has stood the test of time because there has been no effect on those pipes that have been put in the road,” Muramuzi explained.
“There shouldn’t be any fears that these pipes being put in the carriageway will affect the road works at any time T because basically the pipe is deep enough so that it can’t distort when there is any road extension. 2ndly, it is a transmission means and we are not going to tamper with it.” He added
Pascal – region engineer cabinet Merlin confirmed that the project completion is stuck at 80 percent due to lack of pipeline way.
“The general layout of the system is about 80 per cent completed. The commissioning is scheduled for June, so by July we expect water from River Kagera the way up to Kabingo Town Council. Then the pumping station will pump all the way up to Bihunya reservoir” he noted
He said the project includes reinstatement of whatever will be damaged during the excavation and evacuation of water from Bihunya to Boma tanks.
“The contract has provision for reinstatement of whatever will be destroyed so we don’t have any issue with reinstating any tarmac road whether it is new asphalt or tarmacked road because we have the provision to leave everything in its original shape.” Pascal stated
NWSC response
National Water and Sewerage Corporation as the project supervisor, through its managing Director Silver Mugisha, wrote to Mbarara City Council committing to undertake the following as its obligations on the remaining stretch of 5kms:
– To lay a water transmission system and associated infrastructure beneath the carriageway that will not affect the integrity of the road infrastructure
– To ensure that the water transmission system is not tapped on for future connections which could damage the road infrastructure
– To restore the road reserve and the road infrastructure to the original condition
Byansi Muhammad, councillor representing Kakoba ward said it is not new for the government-centred projects and programmes to be implemented on the ground without consulting the lower councils, which turns against project contractors thus stalling or being frustrated and sabotaged.
“Regarding Kagera, the project started well. They even got consultants well knowing that the city has its leadership but we were not consulted. They went ahead and made the designs to allow the water to pass in the middle of the road which as Mbarara city we cannot allow” Adding that, that is a 16-inch pipe what if in the middle of the road where a pipe bursts, we cannot risk the lives of the people in Mbarara city here,” Muhammad explained.
He added that the transmission pipes will not have the inspection chambers which also stand a high risk for the roads of Mbarara City.
“The people of Katete ward have faced many challenges especially during the delay of the bridge restructuring; their businesses should not suffer again on the expenses of the water project. Let the contractor together with the city engineer open the boundaries of the road reserve to pass their the pipes such that it becomes easy for us when we are expanding and paving that Katete road during the next financial year,” Muhammad noted
As City councilors, he said they cannot risk losing Katete Road at the expense of the R. Kagera water project to be extended to Mbarara City.
“It is true we want water but they should use the right means to evacuate that water from Bihunya to Boma tanks. Mayor, if you fidget around and give a minute to NWSC to dig the road to be able to pass there the pipes, we shall mobilise the people of Katete and we shall demonstrate against the move.” Muhammad stated
Some of the tnrasmision pipes to be used to evacuate water from Bihunya to Boma NWSC tanks. Joshua Nahamya(1)
Mary Kankunda, a resident representing the people of Katete ward said that they will not allow the water project to continue if the contractors focus on demolishing their road to pass their pipes.
“As people of Mbarara City, we thank the government for the water project because R. Rwizi has dried up but if that water project is to destroy our road as the people of Katete ward, this time we are sabotaging the government programme because we don’t want to suffer with the road anymore.” Kankunda noted
Godfrey Baryomunsi, representing Mbarara City North, retaliated that the city leaders should not be named as part of the group to frustrate the government programs on the ground.
“While discussing this matter, we should be looking for a solution. I don’t want us to put in complications because this water project is as a result of a loan of which each one of us shall pay. Therefore, as leaders we shall not sit and see the government project being stalled because of not sensitising the public to embrace it”
“Through the mayor, I appeal to the community development officers, engineers, town agents, and staff surveyors to go on the ground and show the locals where those water pipes should pass for the people of Mbarara to get water because our city is a water-stressed city with River Rwizi the only water source of water for Ankole sub-region drying up” adding that, despite being city councilors, we also need water as residents of Mbarara city,” Baryomunsi said
He instead condemned the technical team composed of physical planners, staff surveyors, and town agents that indulged in bribery and corrupt tendencies to allow people to construct the road reserve without the plan.
“In the road reserve that is where those pipes should pass but because a fully-fledged office of enforcement officers, physical planners and staff surveyors who are paid salaries but still go ahead to ask for bribes from illegal developers we are now failing to see where water pipes should pass. Mayor this must stop if not we shall face more road reserve encroachers in future at the cost of implementing government-community projects in Mbarara.” Baryomunsi explained
Also, Betty Tigefera, a female councillor representing Kakoba ward asked fellow councillors to support the government programme meant to extend water to water-stressed areas and institutions like schools most especially during the dry season.
“We have been having a challenge with water and last year I was on the board of Mbarara SS but when we reached May, June, July, and August, our institutions started buying water from police headquarters. They fetch water directly from River Rwizi to the school, but imagine how much we spend on water because a water truck costs the school Shs 150,000 and a truck cannot even last for two days” Adding that, for us who have families you know it better water speaks for itself here in Mbarara City,” Tigefera said
She asked the councilors to remove politics from service delivery when they are deliberating on some of the government projects being implemented in Mbarara City.
“As Mbarara City council, it is our fault to see that people were not supervised and we did not put strict guidelines and measures and sometimes find when people have already encroached on the road reserve. Members, I want to tell you that people who committed a crime of not supervising people to build the structures in the road reserve are here. I am requesting that lets remove feelings, politics, and greed for money when it comes to this water project for it to get completed”
“Where there is a road reserve, let the pipeline be evacuated through the road reserve but where the road reserve was encroached on we shall have no option but to allow NWSC to cut the road because we need water like yesterday.” Tigefera said
Mayor Robert Mugabe Kakyebezi blamed the area members of parliament for failing to cooperate with the city leaders to address such an impulse that is causing mayhem in Mbarara city.
“This is why I want the members of parliament here, what is their role. This is a national project, they should have been here to guide and even sensitise the masses but they are there just waiting to crucify the mayor and his executive, and make cheap politics out of this,” Kakyebezi stated
He said that as a mayor, he should never be recorded as an enemy who sabotages government programs.
“People may look at me as an enemy of the nation causing financial loss to the government. Telling the people that we need a road that is the fact but we also need water and this water is not only going to stop in Mbarara City, but it is going to be extended to other districts like Kiruhura, Lyantonde among others.” Kakyebezi noted
“The project has stalled and I think the next step they are to go to the president to report that the leaders and locals in Mbarara have sabotaged the government programme.” He added
Other water-stressed areas in Mbarara City include; Rwagaju, Katamba, Kicwamba, Karenge, and Kambaba among others.
On her part, Catherine Hellen Kamwine, Mbarara Resident City Commissioner challenged the city councilors to seek consultations from the Ministry of Works and Transport, and the Ministry of Water and Environment before making a recommendation to allow NWSC to cut the roads to evacuate water from Bihunya to Boma.
“In this circumstance we have two scenarios, we want water and we also want a road. According to your plan, Katete is one of the roads that will be upgraded, and now that it is going to be paved, that is where I want the technical guidance from the ministry of works and the ministry of water and environment on this matter because both of them they are technical,” Kamwine said
She added that in most cases NWSC pipelines do make leakages thus challenging the technocrats to exhaust evacuating the pipes beneath the main road.
“Technically the pipes of national water do make leakages, let’s go on Mbarara- Lyantonde road, all your pipes busted and water has flooded on the road and I believe when they are laying them they lay them to remain intact but challenges come, the soil makes erosion and you find the pipe is above the water sea level. Now under the Katete road that is going to be paved if anything happens, still we shall have to remove them using the taxpayers’ money which we should not have put them their well knowing that we shall tarmac that road,” Kamwine explained.
Catherine Hellen Kamwine, Mbarara City Resident Commissioner warning councillors a challenge that awaits if they demolish Katete road to evacaute water from Bihunya to Boma. Joshua Nahamya
She also advised NWCS to evacuate the pipes through the road reserve, not the carrier way. “I have moved on Katete road and not all the road is encroached on, in some parts people have their fences but they know that they did it illegally and legally they can be demolished for the government project to get completed. If we fail to resolve this when it is still early, if not, we shall find ourselves in a tough scenario whether as leaders of Mbarara or not but we shall be blamed because they were installing those pipes when we were looking”
“I am requesting the National water team and the ministry of works, together with our technical person through you city clerk, you should first sit and agree with each other and bring to us a written document because we want all the projects. So let’s first get a thorough technical guidance before committing ourselves.” Kamwine stated
Through the Speaker, Bonny Tashobya Karutsya councillors made the following recommendations:
– Lay pipes beneath the carriageway within the Mbarara City Katete area at a depth of 2.5m.
– Where the roads have spaces within the road reserve, NWSC should utilize that space to lay the water pipes.
– In areas where they have constraints, NWSC should be allowed to encroach on the road and thereafter reinstate the road to its original state.
– Council should not be seen as causing any delays in the implementation of this project.
– There should be a memorandum of understanding between Mbarara City Council and National Water & Sewerage Corporation by putting the responsibility of the laid pipes on NWSC in case of any damage, bursting, and its effects on the road and private property to rectify and compensate where private property is involved it is within the MOU which they have submitted to our legal officer to internalize now.
– NWSC to work with the Mbarara City Council engineering team to ensure proper reinstatement of the road to the specifications of the Ministry of Works and Transport [MOWT] and ensure all that is within the said MOU are properly implemented.
“For us we have not passed that the pipes should pass in the middle of the road, we have guided that NWSC, engineers and the ministry of water should expedite the matter seriously. Of course we embrace the government project but we must implement it extra carefully to avoid causing further challenges in future.” Tashobya noted
Background
The government of Uganda secured funding from the French Development Agency [ADF], for implementation of the Kagera Water Works. The project is being executed by the National Water Sewerage Corporation on behalf of the Government.
The scope of the project included construction of a new water treatment plant of capacity 30,000 per day at Nsungyezi-Kakamba in Isingiro district, a drinking water transmission main spanning over 60km from the water treatment plant [WTP] to Bihunya reservoir in Mbarara City with T-offs to the new reservoirs at Kazaho and Kaberebere, and a gravity line from Bihunya to the existing NWSC Boma reservoir in Mbarara.
NWSC procured Sogea-Satom in a joint venture with Vinci Construction Grands to construct the works expected to be completed by 30th June 2025.
Currently, the contractor is constructing the new water treatment and has completed the reservoir tanks and the pipeline section from Kakamba.
The only pending section is within Mbarara City measuring approximately 5km It involves laying a DN400 gravity line through Katete, following church road, crossing Kabale – Mbarara road, through Ministry of Internal Affairs, crossing Golf Course Road, through the golf course up to the NWSC existing tank in Boma.
