At the beginning of April, more than 11,000 Congolese refugees fled into Uganda as they escaped escalating violence in North Kivu’s Rutshuru Territory in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Their influx increased need for essential supplies in the host communities including water supply. This explains why National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) was among those GoU agencies that promptly responded. This response was coordinated using the Corporation’s Kisoro Area teams.
A multi-agency/institutional task force, comprising of National and Local Government agencies as well as international Humanitarian Organizations, had to quickly be established to cater to the Congolese refugees at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and OPM-managed Refugee Transit Centre in Nyakabande.
Due to the drastically increased demand for essentials like clean water, the existing DN20 water meter quickly become inadequate to supply the Transit Centre. And as a quick solution, the NWSC Kisoro team upgraded the connection point from Saddle to 50x40x50 tee off and the Water Meter to DN32. The team also made an interconnection from a DN75 main (that is 200m away) to boost the pressure.
As they strove to serve those in need, during that unfortunate period, the NWSC Kisoro teams were just as glad to be part of this extraordinary drive to save as many lives as was possible. And this is all in line with NWSC’s commitment to availing “water for all for a delighted customer by a delighted workforce.”
