UMEME’s corporate affairs and regulatory director, Blessing Nshaho says that, much as they have partnered with agencies to ensure that, most of the trading centres have access to power, electric wires are being vandalized, which has since slowed down connections.
Constant power outages in Luuka District have been attributed to consistent vandalism and theft of transformer fuel.
Speaking during the commissioning of the Uganda Rural Electrification Access Project-UREAP at Waibuga sub-county headquarters in Luuka district on Wednesday, UMEME’s corporate affairs and regulatory director, Blessing Nshaho says that, much as they have partnered with agencies to ensure that, most of the trading centres have access to power, electric wires are being vandalized, which has since slowed down connections.
UMEME signed a one year contract with the Energy Ministry aimed at fostering free power connections for 87,500 consumers under the UREAP, as part of the implementation of Uganda’s 10-year electricity connection policy-ECP. They have so far completed free connections for 22,371 consumers in the different parts of the country.
The USD 100 Million clean energy project from the African Development Bank-AFDB, alongside European Union’s-EU, 11.2 Million Euros is aimed at fostering free electricity connections in the different rural communities throughout the country.
The project targets free power connections for 825 applicants within Luuka district, with a key priority to public facilities like schools, health facilities and sub-county headquarters.
Nshaho argues that leaders ought to sensitize members of the general public on the negative effects of vandalism.
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However, Luuka South MP, Steven Kisa says that UMEME officials should work with security agencies to foster routine power line inspections and in turn ensure timely replacement of vandalized areas.
Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister for Energy says that they are drafting a bill aimed at regulating the type of scrap sold within the market. She says that the bill will hinge big fines on all scrap dealers purchasing electricity connection materials.
The European Union team leader for inclusive green economy, Lennart Deridder said that affordable energy access should foster digitization and long-distance learning within the rural communities.//cue in: “we are proud…Cue out…and distance learning,”.African Development Bank’s country manager, Augustine Nga Fuan, says that the project which is targeting majorly the lighting of rural communities will foster improved maternal healthcare services since lower health centres shall have access to constant power connections.//cue in: “besides promoting small…Cue out…in Luuka district,”.In the 2019/2020 financial year, the government through […]