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Published on: 13/07/2021

22 July  2021
16:00 - 18:00 Amsterdam | 14:00 - 16:00 Accra
17:00 - 19:00 Addis Ababa/Kampala | 07:00 - 09:00 Los Angeles

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Not your typical PPP: Leveraging resources to extend utility partnerships for safely managed water services in Kabarole District, Uganda

In Uganda, there are promising steps toward realising safely managed water services in rural areas of Kabarole. Six regional Umbrella Utilities were established in 2016 that offer piped services in rural areas, and the National Water and Sewerage Corporation has an expanded their mandate to move into smaller towns and villages under the Service Capacity Acceleration Plan to 100% coverage (SCAP 100). These are complemented by a clear ‘leave no one behind’ agenda based on monitoring to ensure that every village in the country has at least one improved water source. In Kabarole, this has meant an increase from 12% safely managed to 35% safely managed water in 2019.

While utilities can make progress on their own, the Local Government - together with IRC - have developed novel partnership arrangements to leverage the resources to extend utility services for safely managed water services in Kabarole District.  Our speakers will present key aspects of these partnerships and how they were brokered and used to get resources on the table for bringing safely managed water to communities in Kabarole District.

Our speakers will present key aspects of these partnerships and how they were brokered and used to get resources on the table for bringing safely managed water to communities in Kabarole District.

In the first part of the session, we will have the following presentations:

  • From the utilities - Brian Rugumayo from the Midwestern Umbrella and Ivan Ayebare from the National Water and Sewerage Corporation will talk about their services in Kabarole District, their projection and the partnership.
  • From Kabarole DistrictBruno Basudde (District Water Officer) will present on the needs, priorities and approach to the partnership.
  • From IRC Uganda - Martin Watsisi will focus on the what, why and how of the partnerships with the utilities and the promising results.

These key actors will address the following questions:

  1. Why get into this partnership, and put in money? (to utilities, to local govt, to IRC)?
  2. Is it just piped water or also safely managed? Looking at chlorination of the scheme (and ecosan toilets), and the role of water source protection.
  3. What is the role of local government to ensure piped services are expanded to vulnerable populations? How has Kabarole local government exercised its role in this?
  4. What about community managed piped scheme, how are these performing, and will they all eventually be gazetted to utilities?   

In the second part of the session, panellists will talk about the key areas of the partnership to accelerate safely managed water services in Kabarole District:

  • Richard Rwabuhinga, Kabarole District Chairperson, will focus on political brokerage and creating an enabling environment. The benefits and needs to make these partnerships work.
  • Jane Nabunnya Mulumba, IRC Uganda Country Director, will talk about the IRC Uganda strategy on partnerships and how to make these partnerships work.
  • Katherine Marshal, Aquaya Institute, will discuss the aspects of water quality

The event is convened by IRC Uganda for the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, together with other Safe Water partners in Uganda.

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