1

Registration of groundwater

consultants in Uganda: rationale and

status

Dr Callist Tindimugaya

Ministry of Water and Environment, Uganda

Introduction

• Heavy reliance on groundwater

in most of Uganda for rural and

urban domestic water supply

due to its wide distribution and

general good quality.

• Groundwater development

started in the 1930s through

deep boreholes and springs.

• Rapid increase in groundwater

development for both rural and

urban water supply due to the

need to have water supply

systems that can easily be

operated and managed by the

users

Justification for licensing or registration

of groundwater consultants

• Groundwater consultants (individuals and companies) play a

big role in the success of borehole drilling (selection of

borehole drilling sites, supervision of drilling activities and

general guidance of drilling operations)

• There is a need to improve the professional conduct of

groundwater consultants if the borehole drilling industry has

to produce the required quality of work

• There is therefore a need for registration or licensing of

groundwater consultants similar to what is being done for

drilling companies 3

Methodology employed in registration

of hydrogeologists

• Advert run in the print media at end of 2015 inviting

applications for ‘’Registration of individual hydro-geologists

and hydrogeological/ground water firms operating in

Uganda’’

• Submissions made by 29 individuals and 16 firms

• Committee of seven senior hydrogeologists set up to

evaluate applications

• Evaluation done through a 3 staged process

• Final list of registered hydrogeologists issued in print media

• Registration certificate issued to every registered

hydrogeologist

Evaluation criteria for individual

groundwater consultants

• Individual hydrogeologists grouped into categories namely:

Junior hydrogeologists, hydrogeologists and Senior or

Expert Hydrogeologists

• Evaluation criteria involved: Education (knowledge),

Experience (skills) and examination-exercises (objectively)

• A group to which a hydrogeologist is registered depends on

the combination of the above 3 criteria items

Evaluation criteria for groundwater

consulting firms

• Criteria used to evaluate applications include: Company

registration and ownership, staffing (number and

qualifications), equipment (ownership or leased),

experience (number and nature of projects handled),

references from previous clients etc

• Whether a company is registered or not depends on

meeting the above criteria items

6

Assessment and post assessment of

applications for registration

Stages:

1. Boardroom Assessment

• Education; Experience; Examination;

2. Field or Site assessment

• Verify submitted documents by individuals and companies

• Check and discuss with professional and academic references

3. Post Assessment Period Quite a number have not yet come out for registration; but will with time apply for registration

Promotion of those who have been registered (starting with a Public Notice in the print Media)

Formal feedback to the applicants; certificate as evidence of registration; monitoring performance;

7

RESULTS OF REGISTRATION

Registration of Junior Hydrogeologists

8

Code Name Score

(%)

Remark(s)

J1/2016 AYEBARE MUGISHA 68.0

J2/2016 BENON OBURU OCHAR 30.0 Did not attend

interview

J4/2016 MARTIN KIZZA 60.0

J5/2016 MARTIN TWINE

BARYABANOHA

92.0

J6/2016 MOSES DAMULIRA 48.0

J7/2016 STEPHEN KAMURASI 49.0

J8/2016 TIM FRANCISCIS

WILHEELMUS DONKERS

95.0

RESULTS OF REGISTRATION

Registration of Hydrogeologists

9

Code Name Score

(%)

Remark(s)

H1/2016 DAVID WASSWA 57.0 Did not attend

interview

H2/2016 JOHN STEPHEN

KATENDE

54.0 Did not attend

interview

H3/2016 JUSTINE ODONG 52.0 Did not attend

interview

H4/2016 WILSON AHIMBISIBWE 51.0

RESULTS OF REGISTRATION

Registration of Expert Hydrogeologists

10

Code Name Score (%) Remark(s)

E1/2016 ANTHONY KABENGWA

LUUTU

100.0

E2/2016 CHARITY KISIRISA 88.0

E3/2016 CLARISSA MULDERS 89.0

E4/2016 DAVID KYAGULANYI 44.0 Did not attend interview

E5/2016 DENNIS NAMBALE 60.0

E6/2016 GEOFREY MUKOSE 47.0

E7/2016 GEORGE OTAKA 84.0

E8/2016 GODFREY ANDAMA 90.0

E9/2016 HERBERT LAJJA 40.0

E10/2016 ISAH NABIDDE KITI 88.5

E11/2016 PATRICT EMEJA 74.5

E12/2016 PAUL LUGOKO 40.0 Did not attend interview

E13/2016 RON SLOOTS 47.0 Did not attend interview

E14/2016 SAMUEL AZUBA 93.0

E15/2016 STEPHEN KAGABA 49.0 Did not attend interview

E17/2016 VINCENT TUBIKWASOMWE 40.0 Did not attend interview

RESULTS OF REGISTRATION

Registration of Groundwater Firms

11

Code Name Score (%) Remark(s)

Co2/2016 AQUATECH ENTERPRISES (U)

LTD

66.0

Co4/2016 FELS CONSULTANTS LTD 65.0

Co8/2016 GETS TECHNICAL SERVICES

(GTS) LTD

55.0

Co9/2016 GROUNDWATER AND GIS

CONSULTANTS LTD

45.0

Co10/2016 LHM GROUNDWATER

EXPLORATION & GEOMAPPING

SERVICES LTD

41.0

Co11/2016 SAGS GEO CONSULT LTD 54.0

Co12/2016 SCAN WATER CONTRACTORS

AND CONSULTANTS LTD

38.0 Certified copies of

incorporation & registration

Co13/2016 UNIVERSAL WATER

CONSULTANT LTD

51.0

Co14/2016 WATER RESOURCES AND

ENVIRONMENTAL

CONSULTANTS LTD

66.0

Co15/2016 WE CONSULT 77.8

Co16/2016 UNDERWORLD RESOURCES

CONSULT LTD

62.0

RESULTS OF REGISTRATION

Applicants - to be assessed in future after

obtaining additional information – therefore not

registered in 2016

12

Cod

e

Name Score

(%)

Remarks

J3 CATHERINE DEBORA

NANTONGO

23.0 Still an undergraduate

E16 VINCENT AKIIKI

BYARUGABA

54.5 Experienced but his Degree

award not related to Education

criteria used to evaluate

applicants. He promised to pursue

relevant post graduate training.

RESULTS OF REGISTRATION

Groundwater firms - to be assessed in future –

therefore NOT registered in 2016

13

Code Name Score

%

Remark(s)

Co1 AGOLA GENERAL

ENTERPRISES LTD

24.0 Changed to individual hydrogeologist

Co3 BANTA INVESTMENTS

LTD

20.0 Not available for assessment during field

work. Relationship with Geo-San ITC Ltd to

be looked at.

Co5 GEO WATER

ENGINEERING

CONSULTANTS LTD

44.0 Due to rental issues, Company suspended

operations; and is in the process of finding

office space.

Co6 GEOBOT WATER

ENGINEERING

SERVICES LTD

56.0 Not available for assessment during field

work

Co7 GEO-SAN & IT

CONSULTANT (U) LTD

20.0 Not available for assessment during field

work. Relationship with Banta I Ltd to be

looked at.

Follow up Actions

• Circulated and published in the media the Final list of

registered Hydrogeologists for FY2016-17

• List of registered Hydrogeologists to be issued in July of

every year

• Are developing a framework for monitoring performance of

registered Hydrogeologists

• Are planning a number of capacity building events for

registered hydrogeologists together with drilling permit

holders

• Subsequent phases will focus on long term legal and

technical requirements for registration.

• Will establish a Registration Board on the basis of a legal

statutory instrument

14

Conclusions

• Borehole drilling industry in Uganda faces some challenges

that need to be addressed if the quality of boreholes has to be

improved.

• Regulation and supervision of the industry needs to be

strengthened.

• Regulating the drilling industry benefits the water users as

well as the drilling permit holders and consultants.

• Continued and integrated capacity building of key players in

the drilling industry (central government, local government,

NGOs, private sector etc) is strongly needed.

• Efforts taken to register hydrogeologists as part of the overall

regulation of the drilling industry are expected to result in

efficiency and effectiveness in groundwater development.

Acknowledgements

Regulation of the drilling industry in Uganda has

been made possible due to financial support

provided by the Governments of Denmark, Austria

and Uganda which is highly acknowledged