Dr. Monica Musenero exchanging notes with Eng. Irene Bateebe
HABARI DAILY I Kampala, Uganda I As the Government intensifies investments in Uganda’s electricity transmission and distribution network, the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (UEDCL) has pledged to connect up to 300,000 customers within the next five months.
“UEDCL is ready to connect 300,000 customers within the next five months as more connection materials are being acquired to cover the entire requirement,” said Dr. Monica Musenero, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development.
She said that since January this year, more than 76,000 new customers have been connected to the national grid, while another 500,000 applications for electricity connections are awaiting processing.
According to the Ministry, the Energy ministry, UEDCL currently serves approximately 2.7 million customers, while national electricity access has reached 62 percent.
Dr Musenero, who addressed the country on Wednesday during a press briefing at the Uganda Media Center, addressed the status of electricity supply and went ahead to apologise to consumers for the intermittent power outages that have disrupted businesses, industries and households across the country.
Outages linked to major infrastructure upgrades
She explained that the current outages are temporary and largely linked to major infrastructure upgrades aimed at improving the reliability of power supply.
Dr. Musenero acknowledged the frustrations expressed by consumers over the persistent blackouts that have affected Kampala and several upcountry districts over the past few weeks.
“We have heard your voices from the different platforms including social media, telephone calls and radio discussions concerning the widespread power outages that are currently affecting several parts of the country, including large sections of Kampala City,” she said.
She admitted that the Ministry had not adequately communicated the reasons behind the outages before the works intensified.
The big apology
“Before the intensification of the outages, we made effort to communicate, but from the response, it is clear that we did not do it well and the population was taken unaware. For that, on behalf of the sector, I apologize and I want to say, ‘We are with you. We hear you,'” Dr. Musenero said.
She noted that Uganda’s electricity demand has continued to rise rapidly due to increased industrial activity, growing household connections and Government’s drive to promote productive use of electricity.
She explained that Government has been compelled to expand transmission capacity and rehabilitate ageing infrastructure in order to improve service delivery and accommodate the growing number of electricity consumers.
The Minister attributed the current electricity interruptions to four major factors, the first being extensive transmission network improvement projects currently underway across the country.
Among them is the Kampala Metropolitan Transmission System Improvement Project, funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is now 91 percent complete and is expected to be finalized by August 8, 2026.
The project includes the construction of new substations at Maya (Buloba) and Mukono, upgrading substations at Kawaala, Mutundwe and Bujagali, reinforcing critical 132-kilovolt transmission lines and deploying a mobile substation at Namungoona.
Planned shutdowns unavoidable
Dr. Musenero explained that the works require planned shutdowns to guarantee the safety of workers and the public.
“The upgrades will significantly improve system reliability, reduce future outages and increase the capacity of the grid to meet the growing demand for electricity in the Capital City and neighboring areas,” she said.
She added that the second cause of the outages is that several substations and transmission lines are operating beyond their optimal capacity because of rapidly increasing electricity demand.
Routine maintenance of critical electricity infrastructure and vandalism targeting transmission towers, conductors, transformers and electricity poles have also contributed significantly to service interruptions.
“Acts of vandalism targeting transmission towers, conductors, transformers, poles and other critical equipment have resulted in avoidable outages, costly repairs and delayed restoration of electricity services,” Dr. Musenero warned.
She appealed to Ugandans to protect electricity infrastructure by reporting suspicious activities around substations, transformers and transmission lines to the Police, UEDCL or the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL).
The Ministry also outlined several interventions aimed at improving electricity reliability, including accelerating completion of transmission projects in the Kampala metropolitan area, reinforcing overloaded substations and feeders, replacing ageing transformers, acquiring mobile substations and increasing preventive maintenance across the electricity network.
System supports Uganda’s industrialisation
Speaking at the same briefing, Eng. Irene Bateebe, the Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, reaffirmed Government’s commitment to building an electricity system capable of supporting Uganda’s industrialisation agenda and the country’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
She said priority is being given to accelerated investment in transmission and distribution infrastructure, rehabilitation of ageing assets, expansion of substations and feeder capacity, improved communication with consumers regarding planned outages, enhanced emergency response capabilities and mobilization of additional financing for electricity network restoration and expansion.
The Ministry said measurable progress has already been registered, with feeder availability for large industrial customers improving to 99.7 percent, network uptime increasing, system losses reducing and customer response times becoming shorter.
Fraudsters are numerous
Dr. Musenero also cautioned members of the public against fraudsters demanding cash payments in exchange for electricity meters or faster service.
She stressed that all UEDCL payments should only be made through authorized banks and approved electronic payment platforms, including mobile money.
The Minister further announced that Government has secured a substantial stock of electricity meters and other essential network materials, which will significantly improve the pace of new customer connections and restoration works.
Reassuring Ugandans, Dr. Musenero said the ongoing outages are temporary and are associated with planned investments that will substantially improve electricity reliability in the medium and long term.
“We fully appreciate that reliable electricity is fundamental to economic growth, industrial development, healthcare, education and the daily lives of our people. We therefore remain fully committed to investing in modern electricity infrastructure that meets the growing demands of our economy and ensures that every Ugandan has access to reliable, affordable and sustainable electricity,” she said.
