Private sector management of water supply services to small towns in Uganda

In Uganda, 15 private operators are currently managing water supply services to 56 small towns, two of which, Kamuli and Rukungiri, were chosen for a case study of performance, service provision and contractual framework. In all, 27 semistructured interviews and eight focus group discussions were conducted with users and representatives of town councils, water supply boards, private operators, governmental and professional organisations. Performance data were collected and analysed from the monthly reports of the private operators. The authors concluded that private sector management of water supply services to small towns in Uganda is improving performance against basic indicators though many users, particularly those purchasing water resold from public standposts and neighbourhood yard taps, perceive the cost of water to be too expensive and the connection fee to be unaffordable.