National Water and Sewerage Corporation has signed off the Shs14.24 billion Hoima Emergency Water Supply implementation project aimed at improving and strengthening water infrastructure in Hoima City.
According to Dr Silver Mugisha, managing director NWSC, the project which was signed off yesterday is aimed at improving water quality, increasing supply reliability, and strengthening water infrastructure in Hoima City and surrounding areas ahead of the African Cup of Nations 2027 tournament, which is expected to increase the population of the area.
‘The project forms part of government strategic investments in critical infrastructure to support the anticipated increase in population, economic activity, industrial development, and visitor numbers increase associated with AFCON 2027,’ he said.
He added that the project will also support the continued growth of the Albertine region as Uganda’s oil and gas hub. The intervention involves the development of a new water supply system which will be drawing raw water from River Kafu. He explained that this is a new conventional treatment plant transmitting treated water to Hoima City through a bulk water transmission or transfer system.
The key project highlights include delivering a new water abstraction system on River Kafu, constructing a conventional water treatment plant with a capacity of 2 million liters per day, constructing 25km of transmission and distribution pipelines, constructing a 30,000-liter elevated steel reservoir on Musaijamukulu Hill, as well as installing associated pumping, electrical, treatment, storage, and distribution infrastructure.
According to Dr Mugisha, when completed, the project is expected to significantly improve access to safe drinking water services for residents, businesses, institutions and visitors in Hoima City and neighbouring areas. When completed, the Hoima water supply system will be partitioned into Hoima I, II and III because the existing system has served Hoima City over the years.
Asked whether the current activities being undertaken to develop the oil and gas industry in the region have not affected the quality of the water sources and water demands, he said the National Environment Management Authority has good experts who are making sure that there is no environmental pollution.
‘The last time I talked to NEMA, they assured me that they are fully in charge of environmental management,’ he said.
Asked whether the other stadia lined up to host the AFCON tournament have enough WASH facilities, he said Namboole Stadium has a lot of water, enough to flood the stadium, so do Lira and other stadia identified to host the games.