Uganda’s urban poor will access clean water at a more affordable rate after the Ministry of Water proposed revised water tariffs.
National Water and Sewerage Corporation boss Eng. Silver Mugisha told members of a parliamentary committee on natural resources during a recent tour of Ggaba 1 and 3 treatment plants that ‘.. government will make it a point to lower water from Shs37 to Shs25 even if it means having a by-law in place to help the poor.’
In less than a week, NWSC spokesman Samuel Apedel says there will be a meeting with the water ministry to discuss the terms of the tariff reduction proposal that also includes government through a World Bank project installing new 3000 prepaid meters in Kampala, Wakiso and Mukono using which the urban poor can pay and get water at national water price.
The water prices have been skyrocketing for a while with middlemen purchasing water at Shs37 and then selling it at varied prices, ranging from Shs100 to Shs500 and at worst Shs1000 during dry seasons.
