Security Probe Massive Corruption in NWSC

Security agencies have launched a wide-ranging investigation into allegations of massive corruption, illicit enrichment, and severe mismanagement at the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC). According to security sources, the senior management team led by the corporation Managing Director Eng. Dr. Silver Mugisha is under the spotlight.

Highly placed security sources who spoke on condition of anonymity, revealed that the ongoing probe is examining high-level governance lapses, questionable procurements, potential illicit enrichment, and a growing disconnect between public investments and actual service delivery.

Despite public claims of massive infrastructure development, an expanding asset base of over Shs 5 trillion, and substantial operational surpluses, tap water delivery across the country remains highly intermittent.

The security probe comes amid rising public frustration, particularly in the Kampala Metropolitan areas of Kampala, Wakiso, Entebbe and Mukono.

Ugandans regularly take to social media platforms to voice their grievances over prolonged dry spells, with some communities reporting that they go weeks, or in some cases up to two months, without a drop of running water.

In areas such as Kulambiro, Nalumunye, Bukasa, Kireka, and Nansana, outages last anywhere from two weeks to two months. Greater Mukono towns like Kalagi, Nakifuma, and Kasawo continue to lack functional piped infrastructure altogether. 

Furthermore, citizens who pay full fees for new domestic connections face delays lasting several months without explanation, raising severe questions about where capital investments are actually directed.

Central to the security agencies' interest is a series of questionable financial transactions and administrative practices overseen by Dr. Mugisha.
Among the primary items under scrutiny is a controversy involving a Shs 17 billion procurement project for prepaid water meters. Whistleblower dossiers submitted to oversight bodies detail allegations of conflict of interest, procurement breaches, and subsequent administrative cover-ups designed to shield key actors from accountability.

Security investigators are also looking into the circumstances surrounding a major cybersecurity and data breach where multiple NWSC servers were wiped. 

The loss of digital financial records left external auditors unable to complete a comprehensive financial audit for the 2021/2022 financial year. 

Rather than pursuing criminal prosecution for the data loss, management opted for quiet internal discipline, a move investigators believe was intended to conceal deeper financial anomalies.

The investigation extends to internal human resource practices and allegations of abuse of office. Staff dossiers sent to senior government offices describe a toxic workplace culture characterized by favoritism, irregular promotions, and inverted salary structures.

In several departments, lower-ranking managers on lower pay scales were tasked with supervising subordinates on significantly higher scales, while newly recruited personnel were allegedly fast-tracked into elevated pay brackets without the requisite institutional experience.

Additionally, security sources indicate that Dr. Mugisha’s personal asset declarations and potential political mobilization activities using public visibility, particularly around contract renewal periods, are under active review to establish whether public resources or corporate influence were improperly leveraged.

While NWSC senior management has previously attributed operational strains to unpaid government bills totaling over Shs 100 billion, security forces intend to establish whether public funds are being lost to systemic corruption and private enrichment at the expense of reliable water and sewerage services for Ugandans.