Amuriat promises cheaper electricity for Busoga

“I see Museveni deceiving you with this connections going through your village here, but I can tell you that you will not afford this electricity because the costs are too high. The lines will pass through your village, but you will remain in darkness,” Amuriat said in Ivukula Sub County in Namutumba District.

Amuriat said Uganda is endowed with immense water bodies, abundant sunshine, and a lot of fossils for biogas and thermal, but only about 20 per cent of Ugandans are connected to the national grid, and only 7% of people in the rural areas use electricity.

He said while the country has attained a good capacity in power generation, currently at 1,252.4MW, the cost of accessing energy in Uganda continues to be prohibitive to many consumers.

“This accounts for the low national electricity access rate of 23 per cent, which is lower than the 42 per cent average access rate in Sub-Saharan Africa,” he said.

Alternative power sources

Amuriat said low power costs stimulate industrialization which spur economic growth and development through small scale industries that employ a vast number of people, especially the youth that are currently grappling with high levels of unemployment.

He said cheaper energy for industrial use makes the cost of production lower hence making our products on the world market more competitive and improve the terms of trade of our country.

“We will make connectivity less costly. Resources will be deployed into the power distribution infrastructure to make connectivity less expensive, less bureaucratic and more widely spread. We will waive VAT and Import tax from Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and Import Tax from gas Cylinders and Stoves to promote alternative sources of cooking energy. Consequently, this will result in a fall in charcoal demand by 0.5 million tonnes by the year 2040, and a wood saving of 4.5 million tonnes,” he said.

“We shall focus on alternative sources of energy. The sustainability of dams is in question. Accordingly, we shall diversify into simultaneous alternative sources such as solar, coal, wind, and nuclear power. Reduce electricity charges to all domestic users and SMEs to encourage power usage and improve on the general standard of living of the people of Uganda. Accordingly, theft of public funds will be effectively checked, which, today, contributes to the high power tariffs and costs,” he added.

Locals respond

Residents in Namutumba say while government is extending lines, poverty in the area will not allow them to consume the power. 

Mr Godfrey Bwigo, a resident of Ivukula Sub County, Namutumba district said while others may manage the tariffs, others may not manage because they are so poor. 

“They don’t even have what to eat, but some people have something and those are the few. If we got power it will help us in milling maize because today they travel long distances to mill their maize,” he said.

Bwigo said the President has been making empty promises for years and that time has come for the people of Namutumba to get a leader who cares.

“The truth should be told, the president has not helped us as people in the villages. Things that would have generated income, he has spoilt them, for instance, sugar cane they reduced the prices; rice is Shs1300 only yet we should sell it at Shs2000. A tonne of sugar cane we used to sell it Shs80,000, but now we sell it at Shs30,000. With that amount you come back with nothing because you have to pay for the labour the people who cut the sugar cane. The electricity tariffs are already so high for example the costs have increased so I am telling you with all these increments, things have become very difficult,” he said.

Mr Makenzie Boniface from Mpande village in Namutumba district even if the lines are extended, but tariffs remain high, they will not use the power.

“Those with money are those who will use the electricity and those without will not use it, but you know the majority are poor so they will miss out. This government leads by the saying that those who have will be added and those who do not have, the little will be taken away from them.  The electricity will not be for free. So if Amuriat is talking about reducing the costs, it will be good for us,” he said.