ABOUT DR. SILVERMUGISHA I am Dr Eng Silver Mugisha, the Managing Director of National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), one of the best-performing water utilities in Africa. I have over 20 years’ experience in water utility operations, international policy, research and advisory services. I have provided advisory services through the NWSC-External Services to various organizations in Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Trinidad and Tobago, India, and others. I also hold positions in a number of international institutions. Currently I am the President of the African Water Association (AfWA). I am also a fellow of IWA and a fellow of Netherlands SENSE Research School. I have authored a book (published by IWA Publishing) titled ‘Utility Benchmarking and Regulation in Developing Countries: Practical Application of Performance Monitoring and Incentives’ and published over 20 policy and research papers in several peer-reviewed journals. FIRMPROFILE National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) is a public corporation wholly owned by the government of Uganda. The corporation is the largest urban water utility in Uganda, providing water and sewerage services in 262 towns and serving over 18 million people. The principal business of the Corporation is to operate and provide water and sewerage services in areas entrusted to it by the government on a commercial and financially viable basis. The Corporation’s strategic focus as enshrined in the NWSC Corporate Plan 2021-2024 is to ensure water for all, for the socio-economic transformation of Ugandans and the growthof industrialisation through strategic partnerships. Our Vision: To become the leading customer service-oriented utility in the world. Our Mission: To sustainably and equitably provide cost-effective, quality water and sewerage services while conserving the environment and enhancing stakeholder trust. AN INTERVIEWWITHDR. DILVERMUGISHA What have your priorities and strategic goals been since taking on the position of Managing Director at NWSC? NWSC is a public utility 100% owned by the government of Uganda. NWSC has undertaken a series of successful reforms since the 1990s and is one of the best-performing water utilities in Africa. The thrust of the NWSC strategy is to ensure water for all – for a delighted customer by a delighted workforce. NWSC’s success can largely be attributed to the following: Participative formulation of its Strategic Direction After I took on the position of Managing Director in November 2013, under the leadership of the board and new management team, the Corporation changed its strategic focus and launched a Five-Year Strategic Direction. This new direction informed the Corporation’s outlook and key strategic interventions, taking into account the wider stakeholder expectations, policy directions and competitive environment. The Strategic Direction was developed using a participatory approach involving all key stakeholders, which was critical for ownership and full support from stakeholders. The Strategic Direction is reviewed and revised every five years. Adoption of a service rather than profit maximisation model. The Corporation’s business model has been that of service rather than profit. With this model, the Corporation has undertaken systematic and aggressive expansion of its geographical coverage that resulted in an increase of the number of NWSC service towns across the country from 26 in 2013 to 262 as of March 2022. Prioritising development rather than consumptive behaviour. NWSC focus has been on development expenditure and not consumption expenditure. This has resulted in massive infrastructure growth in its pipe network, which has extended across the country from 6,994 kilometres in 2013 to 20,970 kilometres as of today. This unprecedented growth has enabled the Corporation to reach out to the unserved population, and the customer base has grown from 366,330 water connections in 2013 to over 830,027 connections today as a result. Strong focus on cost and operating efficiency The Corporation has also put a lot of emphasis on cost optimisation and leveraging IT to promote efficiency in its operations. Specific in-house IT innovations have been developed that have, greatly enhanced customer services and promoted cost-effectiveness and operating efficiency. Infusing a strong sense of customer focus NWSC has had to rethink how it interacts with customers and has since focused all its service delivery on ensuring the utmost customer satisfaction. We had to adopt interactive ways of engaging with the public, especially through various online platforms. To date, NWSC is active across all social media platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Youtube. - 9 - The Nakivubo wastewater treatment plant has the capacity to treat 45,000 cubic metres of water per day. “ “
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