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UETCL’s demolition order sparks a power struggle
Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited engineers disassemble a vandalised tower line in Gulu last year. PHOTO | TOBBIAS JOLLY OWINY
What you need to know:
- Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd says the staff quarters at a health facility in Nwoya District was constructed under a high voltage power line.
An order by the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (UETCL) to demolish newly built staff quarters at a multimillion-dollar health facility in Nwoya District has created confusion among local leaders.
The quarters were constructed under a high-voltage power line, leading UETCL to seek their removal.
Mr Francis Ojok, the Kocgoma Sub-county chairperson, supported the demolition order, calling it a necessary action against what he termed a fraudulent project.
“The structure was established illegally to defraud the district’s resources,” Mr Ojok claimed.
He further explained that the health centre management committee had identified the construction site, but the district engineer moved the location without consulting key stakeholders, leading to the current issue.
Mr Ojok agreed with UETCL’s decision, saying: “When the construction project started, I, along with the sub-county chief and the health centre management committee, were excluded. They avoided us and ignored the facility’s management recommendations; we suspect they intended to defraud public resources.”
He added that he had reported the matter to the relevant government ministries.
A letter from UETCL’s CEO, Mr Joshua Karamagi, dated July 17, instructed the Nwoya District administration to demolish the structure within seven days, citing it as an encroachment on the electricity transmission corridor.
Mr Karamagi emphasised that construction under the power line compromises safety, interferes with operations, and is illegal under Section 87 of the Electricity Act Cap. 145, which prohibits activities near electrical installations.
Nwoya Resident District Commissioner Christopher Omara revealed that investigations are underway regarding the irregular authorisation of the facility’s construction.
Mr Omara expressed concerns about potential fraud within the district technical committee, noting that there was no formal groundbreaking or commissioning for the project, which cost Shs149.67 million.
“The site was never officially handed over to the contractor, and we have no record of the construction timeline,” Mr Omara said. He questioned how the contractor could begin work without proper supervision or acknowledgment from the district engineer’s office.
The Nwoya District Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Orach, criticised the district engineer’s office and the chief administrative officer (CAO) for allegedly mishandling the project.
“The building works started in November 2013, and to this day, we don’t know who handed the site to the contractor. The contractor’s name and the project cost remain undisclosed,” Mr Orach said.
When approached for comment, Nwoya District Engineer Peter Okumu declined, citing the need for authorisation from his superiors.
Efforts to reach Nwoya Chief Administrative Officer Jenepher Nantume were unsuccessful, as she did not respond to calls or messages.
Mr Orach mentioned that Nantume had written to UETCL challenging the demolition order, questioning why UETCL did not install marker stones along the corridor to delineate boundaries. The publication has learned that some district leaders are negotiating with UETCL and the Energy ministry to explore options after the facility’s demolition.
Mr Orach suggested utilising the corporate social responsibility (CSR) budget to construct a new staff quarter at the same facility if the current one is demolished.
“There was that component of corporate social responsibility (CSR) that UETCL needed to meet in the district while building the power line, and they have not done it. So, we want to negotiate with the ministry to grant the CSR budget to be used for building another staff quarter at the same facility to replace the current one,” Mr Orach added.
According to International Engineering Standards, a minimum horizontal distance of 30 metres from the centre of a 132 kV high-voltage transmission power line must be kept clear of any human activity, including settlement.
