Security agencies grapple with billions in unpaid water bills
Administrators of Uganda’s top security installations, including the Ministry of Defence, the Uganda Police Force, and the Uganda Prisons Service, detailed on Thursday their struggles with mounting water bills, leaving them with billions of shillings in debt.
Led by Jacob Oboth, Minister of Defence and Veteran Affairs, the team appeared before the joint Finance and Environment and Natural Resources Committees of Parliament. They were responding to concerns raised by the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), which sought parliamentary intervention regarding the government’s Shs97.441 billion in unpaid water bills.
NWSC documents show that the Uganda Prisons Service owes Shs19.442 billion, a debt accumulated over 17 months. The Uganda Police Force’s outstanding balance is Shs24.679 billion, while the Ministry of Defence owes Shs30.675 billion.
Edith Buturo, Under Secretary of the Ministry of Defence, admitted that the army is struggling to pay its water bills. She cited increased water tariffs and infrastructure projects, which have resulted in a Shs15 billion deficit in the UPDF’s water bill budget.
James Ochaya, Deputy Inspector General of Police, noted that outstanding water bills are not the force’s only debt. While the police’s total arrears amount to Shs112 billion, they owe NWSC Shs24.1 billion. Worse, they have only committed to paying Shs1 billion. Ochaya attributed the soaring water bills to the large population relying on police water meters.
“Unfortunately, we are only singling one area of where we are doing badly because as we talk now, the Uganda Police Force has 112 billion shillings in arrears of which 24 billion shillings is for National Water and Sewerage Cooperation,” Ochaya said.
Samuel Emiku, Under Secretary of the Uganda Prisons Service, informed the joint committee that, as of February 11, 2025, the prisons system held 79,280 inmates: 40,886 convicted criminals, 37,875 remanded individuals, and 519 individuals with undetermined status. This inmate population is served by 13,944 prison staff members.
Geoffrey Ekanya, Member of Parliament for Tororo North, asked Minister Oboth why the security installations have failed to implement the presidential directive to install solar-powered wells at police and prison facilities.
