Kampala, Uganda | 11th –18th October 2026
As Sierra Leone intensifies efforts to improve water supply and sanitation services, the Managing Director of Guma Valley Water Company (GVWC), Ing. Mariwan Kallon, is leading a 17-member delegation to Uganda to study operational practices and institutional innovations that could help deliver more efficient, reliable and sustainable services at home.
The benchmarking visit to the National Water and Sewerage Corporation (NWSC) of Uganda, taking place from 11th to 18th October 2026, is being undertaken under the Freetown WASH and Aquatic Environment Revamping Project (WASHAERP). It aims to strengthen institutional capacity and identify practical solutions to challenges facing Sierra Leone’s water and sanitation sector.
The delegation comprises managerial and technical representatives from GVWC, the Ministry of Water Resources and Sanitation, Freetown City Council and the Western Area Rural District Council. Their participation reflects the importance of coordinated action among water utility, policy and local government institutions in improving service delivery.
During the visit, the delegation is engaging with NWSC specialists and visiting operational facilities to examine practices in water production and treatment, distribution network management, asset maintenance, metering, revenue collection, customer relations and non-revenue water reduction. The programme also covers services for low-income communities, wastewater treatment and faecal sludge management.
The visit forms part of WASHAERP’s institutional capacity-building programme, which complements investments in water infrastructure with efforts to strengthen the technical, managerial and operational capabilities of institutions responsible for water supply and sanitation.
Lessons from the benchmarking exercise are expected to inform institutional action plans and a comprehensive report outlining practical recommendations for adaptation in Sierra Leone.
These outputs will support efforts to improve operational efficiency, strengthen collaboration among sector institutions and promote sustainable water and sanitation services.
Through this initiative, GVWC and its partners are seeking to translate regional experience into practical improvements that can benefit communities across the Western Area and contribute to the country’s broader water and sanitation development goals.
Guma Communication Unit
15th October 2026
