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Buikwe farmers fault Umeme over 3-year wait for power after Shs28m payment
Some members of the Buikwe-Bumu Farmers’ Cooperative Society stand next to a transformer near their factory on July 7, 2021.They say the power line is dysfunctional which has affected their operations PHOTO/JESSICA SABANO
What you need to know:
- The farmers claim to have paid close to Shs28m to Umeme for power connection at their factory in Matale Village.
- The cooperative society formed in 2016 comprises ten groups of farmers with more than 2,500 members.
- Umeme Manager for Lugazi Branch, Mr Wilson Egesa, said he is still new in office and not aware about the farmers’ concern.
A section of farmers in Buikwe District have faulted the national power distributor, Umeme limited, for failing to reconnect electricity to their maize milling and animal feeds factory despite paying for the service three years ago.
The farmers under their cooperative union claim to have paid close to Shs28m to Umeme for power connection at their factory in Matale Village, but electricity connection lasted only one day- and went off.
“Enough is enough! How long does it take Umeme to reconnect us to the national power grid? It is now three years. We need an answer ,” Mr Juma Gizamba, the board chairperson Buikwe- Bumu Farmers’ Cooperative Society, said during an interview on Wednesday.
The cooperative society formed in 2016 comprises ten groups of farmers with more than 2,500 members.
Mr Gizamba explained that through their cooperative, they procured machines worth Shs450 million to start the factory and applied to the Umeme Branch in Lugazi Town for power in 2017 hoping to start production in 2018.
He said the Umeme staff at Lugazi referred them to a sub-contractor identified as Cable-Sult Civil and Electrical Engineering Ltd to extend a three phase power line and a transformer to the factory, which was done.
“With support from our donors, International Needs Uganda ,we paid for the service and in 2019 Umeme officials inspected the work and approved it and allowed us to start production ,but a few days later , Umeme disconnected us complaining that our consumption was disorganising power supply in the area,” Mr Gizamba said.
He said when they complained to area Umeme officials, they advised them to ask the managers to install another transformer at the factory, which was not done.
“Officials from Cable-Sult Civil and Electrical Engineering Ltd told us that they had played their part and finished and Umeme approved their work .So, this has left us in a three -year power black-out causing us a loss of about Shs1.8 billion,” Mr Gizamba disclosed.
More losses
Buikwe- Bumu Cooperative Society Publicity Secretary, Mr James Mbogo, said after paying for the power connection, they procured over 22 tonnes of maize from farmers and put them in the factory stores for processing and hired about 37 youth and women to work at the factory, but power was abruptly disconnected.
“The maize decayed in the store as we waited for reconnection. We were forced to lay off all the workers and everything is at a standstill,” he said
Commenting on the matter, Umeme spokesperson, Peter Kaujju said: '‘Cable-Sult Civil & Engineering Co Limited, the company contracted by the Buikwe Bumu Produce & Marketing Cooperative Society Limited repaired the transformer and power was restored on Tuesday after Umeme’s intervention,’’
Cable-Sult Technical Engineering Ltd Engineer, Charles Ssekitooleko had said the Covid-19 induced lockdown affected their operations, but promised ''to get in touch with the farmers’ leaders soon to rectify the issue.''
