Fix glitches in national power distribution, Ministry tells UEDCL

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development has tasked Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (UEDCL) to fix glitches facing the distribution of power in the country.

In a statement delivered by Dr Patricia Litho, the assistant commissioner for communications at the Ministry of Energy, on Tuesday, State minister for Energy Sidronius Okasaai Opolot said weak distribution infrastructure and low energy demand are causing significant financial losses for the government.

“UEDCL, pay attention to the challenges including a weak distribution infrastructure which affects reliability and security of power supply, energy losses within the service territories across the country, vandalism of electricity equipment which increases the operation and maintenance costs,” Mr Okasaai said.

His remarks were made during a ceremony where UEDCL assumed operations from Kilembe Investment Ltd (KIL) in Kasese Town.

Since 2014, KIL has been distributing electricity to several districts in the western service territory, including Kasese, Buhweju, Bushenyi-Ishaka, Sheema, Rubirizi, and Mitooma.

The company handed over its distribution system to UEDCL after the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) declined to renew its license, which expired on September 30. In 2022, the Cabinet decided that all private concessions in the distribution sector should not be renewed upon expiration. Instead, UEDCL would take over these operations as part of the 2023 Energy Policy, which aims to consolidate the distribution sector and expand access to electricity.

Mr Okasaai said there is currently a lot of redundant electricity in the sector resulting from significant unutilised energy as a result of a knowledge gap on the use of electricity and suppressed demand.

“This requires deliberate efforts to plan and invest in both segments in order to consume this electricity,” he said.

The government is currently undertaking the second-generation power sub-sector reforms while others have been gradually implemented in the past few years.

Mr Okasaai noted that UEDCL has been approved to take over operations from Umeme Limited starting October 1, and the transition process is proceeding as planned.

Mr Paul Mwesigwa, the managing director of UEDCL, said they have so far taken over several electricity concessions including FERDSULT Engineering Ltd, Bundibugyo Energy Cooperative Society (BECS), Pader Abim Community Multi-Purpose Energy Cooperative Society (PACMECS), Kyegegwa Rural Energy Cooperative Society (KRECS) Limited including KIL.

“The government is committed to making electricity available and reliable for all and UEDCL is appropriately positioning itself to operate sustainably to boost increased electricity access and at the same time investing appropriately into the network,” Mr Mwesigwa said in an interview.

Meanwhile, the management of KIL revealed that they are demanding Shs3.5b from the government for losses incurred between 2018 and 2022 when the government transmitted power through KIL’s network, Daily Monitor has learned.

During the handover, KIL board chairman Mr. Ericana Bwambale Musoka urged the Ministry of Energy to settle the payment within a month.

“The government did not have the evacuation lines for the three-generation plants in Kasese District and it had to use our network to transmit that power to Nkenda substation, during that period, they were supposed to pay us Shs3b,” Mr Bwambale said.

He said they have sent several letters to the Ministry of Energy but have yet to receive a response.

Mr Erifaz Muhindi Bukombi, the Kasese District chairman, said despite the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) installing electricity poles in various parts of the district, they have failed to complete the wiring for the past four years.

“We have all the hope that they are going to connect those communities. The communities have already done all it takes, they have even wired their houses and they are only waiting for power,” he said.