Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Uganda’s main power distribution company, Umeme, has tabled a $219 million (Shs 813.2 billion budget) for the year 2021. Of that, $119 million (Shs 442.4 billion) will be for capital investments in the grid while $60m (Shs 222.4bn) will cater for net operating costs. The …
Read More »New power connection rate is a response to those who can afford -Energy PS
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | A group of organisations advocating for good energy sector performance, have threatened to drag the government to court unless it reverses the decision to suspend the free Electricity Connection Policy, ECP. On Wednesday, the Electricity Regulatory Authority announced the new approved costs of connection of …
Read More »Industrialists happy as power connections resume, despite increased cost
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Anyone seeking to have electricity connected to their premises will now have to pay the full costs, following the scrapping of the subsidy, as well as the free connection policy, by the government. Since 2005, the government has been subsidizing the cost of connecting power …
Read More »Busia residents raise concern about failure to fulfill electricity pledge
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents of Sikuda sub-county in Busia district have faulted the president for failing to fulfill pledges on extension and distribution of electricity. In 2007, President Yoweri Museveni while campaigning during the by-election in Samia Bugwe North Constituency pledged to construct power lines from Busitema sub-county …
Read More »Masafu residents angry with NRM over electricity
Busia, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents in Masafu sub-county of Busia district say they are not ready to vote for National Resistance Movement -NRM party candidates come 2021 over lack of electricity. According to residents, they have previously voted NRM leaders who failed to extend electricity especially in trading …
Read More »Energy minister launches rural electrification program in Bududa district
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development in conjunction with the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) have launched the rural electrification project in Bududa district. Rural electrification program is a government-funded project with the aim of financing electricity connections to homes, district headquarters, health centers, schools, …
Read More »Over 600 mln Africans lack electricity despite huge renewable energy potential
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia | Xinhua | The African Union (AU) Commission on Thursday revealed that over 600 million people across the Africa lack access to electricity despite the continent’s abundant renewable energy potential. “Currently, more than 600 million Africans lack access to electricity with many still relying on traditional biomass …
Read More »Kabale municipality residents protest unreliable power supply
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Residents of Kabale Municipality are protesting the unreliable electricity supply in the area. They argue that for the last two months, they have been experiencing power outages everyday. Consumers whose businesses fully depend on electricity are also losing business. Michael Kwehangana, the proprietor of …
Read More »Power crisis worsens in S. Africa
Cape Town, S.A. | XINHUA | South Africa’s power crisis worsened on Wednesday as electricity utility Eskom escalated the level of load shedding from level two to level four. This was the highest level of load shedding that has been implemented this year. Stage-two load shedding allows up to 2,000 …
Read More »New round of load shedding plunges S. Africa into darkness
Cape Town, South Africa | XINHUA | A new round of rolling power blackouts plunged South Africa into darkness on Tuesday as the country was struggling with the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite a drop in demand due to the COVID-19 lockdown, Eskom has implemented three rounds of load shedding since the …
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