Electricity officials explain nationwide power blackout that delayed Museveni address

Jinja, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL), Umeme and Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) have apologized for a power blackout that delayed President Yoweri Musevehi’s speech on COVID-19 today.

“We regret the national power blackout occasioned by a huge floating water weed island that stormed Nalubaale hydropower station this morning. All stakeholders, under the coordination of uetcl are working round to stabilize the grid and restate generation in a short while,” UEGCL said in a statement.

The blackout started just moments before the address which was earlier on planned to start at midday.

According to the Umeme Spokesperson, Stephen Illungole, there was a problem at the Owen Falls Dam, where the water hyacinth reportedly blocked the turbines .Illungole says that this could partly be related to the overflow from the lake.

URN has since learnt that Owen falls dam, and Bujagali Dam have been affected, and Power will be partially restored through Isimba Dam.

UEGCL said that there is a floating Island that is affecting operations at Nalubaale (Owen Falls and Bujagali Power Dams which has resulted in the national blackout.

But Simon Kasyate,  the head of Communications at Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) says that they are working to restore power within the next 50 minutes.

He says the dams work in synergy, and that’s how the other dams have been affected.

URN has confirmed that there is no power in Jinja, Hoima, Gulu, Mbarara, Kasese, Kampala areas and West Nile.

**** URN