The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The country is currently facing increase in power outages and load shedding, a situation that has left users calling for an explanation form the responsible authorities.
It comes amidst the final transition stages from the expiring 20-year distribution concession held by Umeme Ltd to the network management by the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd on April 1.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) has acknowledged the current power supply instability affecting parts of Uganda but says it remains committed to ensuring that the country’s energy needs “are met efficiently and sustainably”.
While stating that power supply remained relatively stable throughout last year, the ministry says the high demand is overwhelming the current capacity to supply.
“As the national electricity demand grew, certain substations became overloaded. This has necessitated urgent upgrades to some parts of the electricity transmission and distribution network,” says a ministerial statement on the situation.
Generally, Ugandans have become accustomed to unstable supply especially during the rainy season, and this is one of the factors that caused constant bashing of Umeme.
However, the ministry says stabilizing the services is still their priority.
“The Ministry and its key partners have prioritized operational maintenance activities to resolve these reliability issues across the network and improve the efficiency of our power supply system,” the statement adds.
It lists a number of factors that have contributed to the recent power outages, including “critical equipment failure” which interrupted services to affected areas.
In other areas where the infrastructure is intact, sections of the power network were unable to handle the affected load due to insufficient capacity in certain parts of the system.
Another cause cited is vandalism and theft especially in areas along the Kawanda-Masaka Transmission Line, with the criminal activities significantly disrupting power supply in those regions.
Areas along Gulu highway particularly Kiryandongo and Karuma are vulnerable to bushfires and these have caused additional damage to transmission lines, further compounding service interruptions, according to the ministry.
It says interventions are ongoing in collaboration with its sister Agencies in the sector, to address the challenges.
“Urgent maintenance and upgrade activities are ongoing to enhance the reliability of the power supply and resolve the capacity limitations in various parts of the country,” the statement says.
It adds that the mobilisation of funds towards these issues has been prioritized to ensure that these interventions are carried out efficiently, guaranteeing continuity of service and minimizing disruptions.
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