Finance Minister Henry Musasizi has launched a new memoir by veteran water specialist Dr. Callist Tindimugaya, using the occasion to underline the importance of purpose, discipline and responsible management of public resources in Uganda’s development journey.
The memoir, Flow of Purpose: From Streams of Childhood to Building Uganda’s Water Future, was launched on Friday evening at Hotel Africana in Kampala, bringing together government officials, professionals and colleagues who have worked with Tindimugaya during his career in Uganda’s water sector.
Musasizi said the book’s central message is purpose, which he described as the force that gives life meaning and enables individuals to remain focused, resilient and committed to serving society.
“Purpose is how life becomes meaningful, and becomes useful for society, community and the country,” Musasizi said.
He used the occasion to stress the importance of discipline in public service, arguing that proper management of public resources is essential for building public confidence, improving productivity and delivering critical services.
According to Musasizi, effective management of public resources directly affects sectors such as education, healthcare and access to clean water.
Tindimugaya’s Water Legacy
Musasizi praised Tindimugaya for his contribution to Uganda’s water policies, strategies and partnerships at national, regional, continental and global levels.
He particularly highlighted Tindimugaya’s contribution to the Nile Basin Initiative Governance Framework, which Musasizi said has played a role in strengthening cooperation and promoting equitable utilisation of Nile water resources among countries sharing the basin.
The Finance Minister also used the book launch to highlight Government’s investments in Uganda’s water infrastructure.
He cited the approximately Shs1.3 trillion Integrated Water Management Development Project and the Shs6.8 trillion National Water and Sewerage Corporation Strategic Plan for 2025–2030, which is intended to expand access to clean and safe water across the country.
Musasizi further pointed to water expansion projects in Greater Kampala, including the Kampala Water-Lake Victoria Water and Sanitation Project in Ggaba, which he said have increased water production for the metropolitan area by tens of millions of litres per day.
“Water is life. We cannot have healthy lives without access to safe and clean water,” he said.
Water, Agriculture and Tenfold Growth
The Minister said Uganda’s water agenda must go beyond domestic consumption and sanitation to support agricultural production and food security.
He said Government is seeking to reduce the country’s dependence on rain-fed agriculture through expanded irrigation, including the use of solar-powered irrigation systems for smallholder farmers.
Among the initiatives he cited were the Nexus Green Solar-Powered Water Supply and Irrigation Systems, the Farm Income Enhancement and Forest Conservation Programme, which covers 19 districts, and irrigation interventions at Atari, Acomai, Namatala and Agoro.
Musasizi linked investment in water and protection of natural resources to Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy, which seeks to expand the country’s economy to US$500 billion by 2040.
“These natural resources are critical for sustainable industrialization, especially agro-industrialization, as they provide the raw materials for industry,” he said.
‘I Started as a Small Stream’
For Tindimugaya, the memoir represents a reflection on a journey that began in modest circumstances in Kigezi-Kabale before developing into a career dedicated to water governance and development.
“I feel like I started as a small stream, and I am ending as a very big river,” Tindimugaya said.
He said the book captures both his personal and professional journey while acknowledging the people who contributed to his development along the way.
Tindimugaya spoke passionately about his career in the water sector, saying he has never regretted choosing the profession.
“I have never regretted working in the water sector. And I always say that I have never woken up a single day feeling like not going to work, not a single day,” he said.
Baryomunsi Urges Professionals to Document Their Journeys
Health Minister Dr. Chris Baryomunsi, who said he first met Tindimugaya when the two joined the seminary, praised his specialised knowledge and professional contribution to Uganda.
Baryomunsi said Tindimugaya has become an important source of technical expertise on water matters at the highest levels of Government.
“Whenever there is debate on issues of water, and the President (HE Yoweri Kaguta Museveni) wants to know what is the current and specialised information, he will ask for him,” Baryomunsi said.
He also urged professionals to document their experiences and knowledge instead of leaving their stories undocumented.
Baryomunsi said such documentation enables future generations to understand the journeys behind the people they encounter as doctors, professors, directors and ministers.
Musasizi formally launched Flow of Purpose, congratulating Tindimugaya for documenting a career shaped by purpose, hard work, resilience and public service, while placing Uganda’s water resources at the centre of the country’s socio-economic transformation.
