NWSC Chief Urges Ugandan Engineers to Embrace Innovation and Self-Reliance

Dr Silver Mugisha, Managing Director of the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), has urged Ugandan engineers to embrace innovation and self-reliance, arguing that homegrown solutions are vital for national progress.

Delivering a keynote address at the 2025 Africa Engineering Week, Dr Mugisha said engineers must move beyond traditional design roles to actively create products and technologies that address local challenges.

He cited NWSC’s transformation since his appointment in 2013, noting that the corporation has expanded from 23 serviced towns to more than 282, while its annual surplus has grown from 34 billion to Shs150 billion.

Dr Mugisha emphasized that academic qualifications alone do not define engineering capability.

He highlighted Ugandan artisans who have built complex machines such as maize mills and even a flying helicopter prototype without formal training.

“It is not formal degrees that matter in creating engineering solutions,” Dr Mugisha said.

“We engineers who have excelled at school have succeeded in designing things, but when it comes to innovation, not much.”

He challenged engineers to adopt a reverse engineering mindset by studying how existing technologies work and applying that knowledge to develop local alternatives.

Underscoring the value of self-reliance, Dr Mugisha pointed to NWSC’s internally developed billing, payment, and digital systems.

He said this strategy not only strengthened local capacity but also provided resilience against cyber threats.

When NWSC was recently hacked, in-house systems were restored within two days, compared to months for outsourced platforms.

“What any human being has done anywhere on Earth, we should be able to do,” he remarked.

“Gone are the days when you think this is made in America or this is made in China.”

The Africa Engineering Week was organized by the Federation of African Engineering Organizations.