ABSTRACT This study reviews the status of access to water supply, sanitation, and solid waste management (SWM) services in Uganda, examining the influence of national government policies, institutional frameworks, and financing mechanisms. It employs a mixed‐methods approach, combining qualitative analysis of primary data from key informant interviews with secondary data from systematically reviewed literature, including performance reports, project data from ministries, development partner websites, and peer‐reviewed journal articles. The findings reveal persistent challenges related to intersectoral coordination, overlapping roles, policy inconsistencies, stakeholder conflicts, and funding inefficiencies. Water services receive a disproportionately high percentage of funding (over 80%), whereas sanitation and SWM receive significantly less (approximately 5% and 10%, respectively). Regulations advocate for sustainability, but their implementation in small towns remains weak. Policy analysis at the local level suggests a misalignment that prioritizes SWM over individual water and sanitation services. Decentralization empowers local authorities, but successful service delivery depends on robust enforcement of available policies. The analysis of funding and service delivery gaps underscores the need for equitable resource allocation and integrated approaches. The study concludes by emphasizing the need for active engagement by governments, development partners, local communities, and the private sector to achieve equitable access to basic services.
Sakaya et al. (2025) studied this question.