Open letter to Umeme MD
What you need to know:
- As a resident and concerned Ugandan citizen, I have two key issues to inquire and hope with escalation to you, this could finally help not only myself, but also residents in this village and surrounding areas.
Dear Mr Selestino Babungi,
I hope this finds you well. I am John Kavuma, a resident of a village in Entebbe regional area.
I am a frequent power-outages reporter on your general Umeme WhatsApp platform and know a few of your Entebbe office staff members, including an engineer/supervisor I’ve engaged with for more than a year or so, but whose names I won’t mention here.
As a resident and concerned Ugandan citizen, I have two key issues to inquire and hope with escalation to you, this could finally help not only myself, but also residents in this village and surrounding areas.
1. What is the correlation between the just concluded NAM conference and Umeme stable (or unstable) power supply? A day after the conference ended, my sources told me an entire power line got burnt and that this area spent more than seven hours off, under reference number 119206-I, power was restored past 11:30 PM.
But ever since the end of the conference, power has gone off 3 times even as I write. Meaning we are back to routine unexpected and unannounced outages we were accustomed to before NAM? So is Umeme’s infrastructure and sustainable power supply dependent on visitors, in other words we/Umeme can’t show its dirty linen before visitors?
Unresolved sagging powerline.
2. Reference number 640021-G was created last year on 12th December, 2023. A preliminary Umeme assessment team of 2 individuals came on ground and indicated what was required to solve a sagging line here in Bugiri-Bukasa. Your WhatsApp handlers are aware of this development, even a few days after a lady from Umeme called to follow up, but to-date no action taken.
I’ve mentioned several times in WhatsApp, this sagging line could be a potential hazard and end up killing anyone, be it innocent children who often play around yet we are in a windy area a few meters from the Lake Victoria shores, anytime strong winds blow, potential sparks are bound to happen.
Question, who in Umeme (Entebbe area or general) is responsible for decision making especially on erection of new poles in problematic areas such that it’s now more than a month no action has been taken. A supposedly written report is sat in to-date?
NB: I am more than a resident that is writing to you and your teams (much to their ignorance throughout the years), but won’t mention my mission and full designation...perhaps I would the day we may meet for a cup of coffee!
John Kavuma,
[email protected]
