KAMPALA, Uganda — On Friday night, the red carpet at Kampala’s Protea Hotel shimmered under the lights, not for movie stars or pop idols, but for a different kind of celebrity. The applause was for engineers who built boreholes in forgotten villages, students who turned science into hygiene campaigns, and organizations whose quiet persistence has brought clean water and dignity to thousands.
This was the Uganda WASH Impact and Influence Awards 2025, the country’s first national celebration of excellence in water, sanitation, and hygiene. After months of nominations, shortlists, and anticipation, the winners were finally revealed in a ceremony that felt less like a gala and more like a national thank-you.
“These awards are about more than celebration,” said Brenda Achiro, deputy chairperson of the Uganda Water and Sanitation Network (UWASNET) Board. “They are about honoring excellence, inspiring innovation, and recognizing everyone’s contribution to transforming the WASH sector.”
Launched in May by UWASNET in partnership with the Ministries of Health, Water and Environment, and Education and Sports, the awards mark a turning point for a sector that rarely makes headlines but underpins every aspect of public health. Supported by the Austrian Development Agency and a coalition of local and international partners, the initiative aimed to shift focus from what Uganda lacks to those driving change against all odds.
At stake was more than prestige. It was a chance to reframe the story of WASH, from scarcity to solutions.
Youth Innovation Takes the Spotlight
Among the evening’s loudest applause came when Makerere University’s Antimicrobial Resistance Club was announced the winner of the Youth-Led Initiative Award, ahead of Watoto Wasoka and Rwenzori Aid.
“Seeing young innovators from Makerere warmed my heart,” said Mrs. Achiro. “It’s their creativity and resilience that will drive the future of WASH in Uganda.”
Representing the club, Akello Kathrine, a fourth-year medical student, spoke with conviction.
“We know that WASH is the simplest way to stop the transmission of germs,” she said. “So, we began training the young generation, distributing clean water to schools, and installing more than 10,000 tanks across Eastern Uganda. We even organize clean water competitions — because awareness starts early.”
Amref Health Africa Leads in Programmatic Impact
In the Programmatic Impact (International) category, Amref Health Africa in Uganda took top honors, recognized for decades of work that has redefined community health and sanitation. The organization has constructed over 30,000 toilets, improved sanitation for more than 150,000 people in the Rwenzori region, and declared 53 villages open-defecation-free.
Their holistic “Total Health Approach” in Amuru District gave another 90,000 people access to improved sanitation — a feat that set the benchmark for what coordinated WASH programming can achieve.
“We’ve supported this nation for 40 years,” a representative said. “We’ve seen villages transform — women and girls no longer walk long distances for water. That is real change.”
Rotary, Opportunity Bank Drive WASH Financing
When it comes to financing WASH initiatives, Rotary Uganda emerged as the standout winner, honored for its decades-long commitment to improving lives. Speaking for Rotary, Eng. Akram Nsubuga reflected on the organization’s enduring role in development.
“Rotary has spent over 75 years in Uganda and 100 years in Africa,” he said. “Just last year, we gave two billion shillings to WASH projects, and over the last five years, more than Shs 80 billion. We’re proud to be part of making Uganda a better world.”
The runner-up, Opportunity Bank Uganda, was also recognized for its innovative financing models. Acting CEO Brian Collins Amanyire noted that the bank has extended more than Shs 70 billion in WASH loans to over 20,000 clients, reaching 300,000 people.
“We share the belief that water is life,” Amanyire said. “For us, financing WASH is financing dignity.”
Innovation and Local Impact Recognized
The Technology and Innovation Award went to Equal Aqua Uganda, celebrated for integrating digital tools and community systems to enhance access to safe water. The Uganda Muslim Rural Development Association (UMURDA) took second place, highlighting a growing wave of homegrown WASH innovations.
In the Programmatic Impact (National) category, Community Integrated Development Initiative (CIDI) emerged the winner, ahead of Care and Assistance for Forced Migrants and Viva con Agua Uganda.
“We appreciate our partners and communities — without them, we couldn’t do this,” said a CIDI representative. “We’ve been around nearly 30 years, helping refugees and vulnerable groups. People think we’re an international NGO, but we’re proudly Ugandan.”
While launching the accompanying WASH exhibition, Beatrice Anywar, Minister of State for Environment, praised the synergy between government and non-government actors.
“We must work collectively, preserve our environmental values, and ensure that innovations translate into lasting, scalable WASH services for all Ugandans,” she said.
Her call for collaboration was echoed by Wilberforce Kimezere, WASH Specialist at UNICEF, who warned of persistent gaps.
“As of 2022, 46 percent of Ugandans lacked access to basic water and 81 percent lacked basic sanitation,” he said. “Without safe water and sanitation, communities remain vulnerable to preventable disease and economic loss.”
Still, Kimezere expressed optimism that the Primary Health Care (PHC) initiative will close those gaps by 2027, pointing to investments in digital monitoring and innovative financing as game changers.
By the end of the evening, applause filled the hall as trophies were lifted and photos snapped. Yet the mood was not one of self-congratulation. It was a quiet recognition that Uganda’s WASH story is still being written.
The awards celebrated progress, but they also underlined the work ahead, millions still without safe toilets, countless families still drinking unsafe water.
“The spirit of collaboration and innovation we’ve seen here tonight,” said Mrs. Achiro, “is what will shape a cleaner, healthier, and more equitable Uganda.”
For one night, the country’s unsung water warriors stepped into the light. Tomorrow, they return to the field, drilling, teaching, innovating, turning recognition into renewed resolve.
