National water board ranks Gisagara best for MD’s job

Eng. Gisagara at a function in Kampala. PHOTO by FAISWAL KASIRYE

What you need to know:

Three people, all ranking between 60 and 70 per cent, have been in the hot race to try and occupy the seat that fell vacant last year after the MD, William Muhairwe then resigned.

Kampala

After months of searching for the right person to steer the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC), three names have been shortlisted with Eng Alex Gisagara, the current acting managing director seemingly having a slight edge over the two other finalists.

The post fell vacant after Mr William Muheire resigned from the post in 2011, where he had served for 10 years and opted not to apply for contract renewal.

A resolution reached at a special meeting of the board of directors of NWSC early this month, ranks Eng. Gisagara on top of the other two finalists with a score of 69.3 per cent, narrowly beating his closest challenger, Eng. Silver Mugisha, who scored 69.1 per cent while the third finalist, Mr Patrick Byabakama Kaberenge, got 62 per cent.

The board’s resolution did not indicate the pass mark for the lucrative position, however, it is understood that Eng. Gisagara could be given the job that he has been serving in acting capacity for nearly a year, given that he was the highly ranked among the other two finalists.

NWSC spokesperson Vivian Newumbe said although she is aware that the interviews were concluded, she did not have any communication suggesting that the top position has been substantively filled. “I cannot comment any further than that; not until I get official communication,” said Ms Newumbe when contacted yesterday.

Sunday Monitor could not establish when the official pronouncement endorsing a new boss will be made, although an inside source said in the next two weeks the water corporation will have a substantive managing director after months of temporary leadership.

Whoever the board will appoint will have to face the task of dealing with illegal water connections, costing the corporation about Shs2 billion - a challenge that the new boss will have to deal with as well.

And coupled with clogged sewages around the city, partly contributing to the rampant floods each time it rains in Kampala, and the poor sanitation,it looks like the new boss already will have enough to keep him busy. Eng. Gisagara has served at NWSC in different capacities for the past several years.

Troubled past
Early this year, this paper reported that NWSC, once touted as an example of a good performing state enterprise was rolling on huge debts curtailing its ability to connect water to new users.

As at January 9, NWSC had only Shs2.7 billion as cash at hand yet its debts for only six months to the same date stood at Shs8.9 billion. The Corporation’s financial statements showed that NWSC was expected to have paid creditors, including staff allowances, to the tune of Shs6 billion by January 15 but it had failed instead it had been drowning in ‘wasteful’ expenditure according to board minutes obtained then.

Although the corporation had Shs10 billion in fixed accounts, this money accrued from the sale of its houses, other fixed assets and foreign loans and was not available for daily running of the entity.