Assessing Non-Revenue Water Management at National Water and Sewerage Corporation Kampala.
| dc.contributor.author | Basigirenda Birungi Betty | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-06-10T07:47:19Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-06-10T07:47:19Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-08-23 | |
| dc.description | This is a master's thesis. | |
| dc.description.abstract | This study assesses Non-Revenue Water (NRW) management at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) in Kampala, Uganda, focusing on current practices, challenges, and strategies for improvement. Guided by three objectives, the research examines the state of NRW management, identifies associated challenges, and proposes strategies to enhance performance. Employing a cross-sectional research design with a quantitative approach, data was collected from 162 NWSC employees using structured questionnaires on a five-point Likert scale. The study utilized descriptive statistics for analysis, conducted via the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Findings reveal a neutral perception of NRW management, indicating both strengths and significant gaps. Respondents acknowledged moderate use of advanced technologies like smart meters and IoT, alongside relatively accurate metering systems. However, infrastructure maintenance and financial resources for modern strategies were perceived as inadequate, reflecting persistent physical losses due to aging pipes and insufficient funding. The study identifies critical challenges, including dilapidated infrastructure, worn-out meters, insufficient funding, corruption, and reactive maintenance practices. These factors, compounded by inadequate pressure control and obsolete record-keeping, exacerbate water and revenue losses, straining NWSC’s financial sustainability and disproportionately affecting marginalized communities. Corruption, particularly illegal connections and overcharging, further inflates NRW, highlighting the need for robust governance. Proposed strategies received strong support, emphasizing advanced leak detection technologies (such as acoustic sensors, drones), pressure management through pressure-reducing valves, and smart metering to enhance billing accuracy. Infrastructure renewal, proactive maintenance, and customer engagement via conservation education and leak-reporting incentives were also endorsed. Additionally, integrating geographic information systems, SCADA, and AI-driven analytics, alongside staff training, was recommended to improve efficiency. Phased technology deployment and benchmarking against low-NRW countries were seen as viable approaches to overcome financial and technical barriers. Accordingly, NWSC must prioritize infrastructure upgrades, transparent governance, and community involvement to reduce NRW to the 30% target by 2029 | |
| dc.description.sponsorship | Dr. Archillies Kiwanuka (Makerere University Business School) & Dr. Mwelu Noah (Makerere University Business School) | |
| dc.identifier.citation | Basigirenda, B. B. (2025) Assessing Non-Revenue Water Management at National Water and Sewerage Corporation Kampala. Makerere University Business School. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12282/5572 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Makerere University Business School | |
| dc.rights | Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 United States | en |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/us/ | |
| dc.title | Assessing Non-Revenue Water Management at National Water and Sewerage Corporation Kampala. | |
| dc.type | Thesis |