Former National Resistance Movement (NRM) chairperson for Eastern Uganda Mike Mukula has called for urgent action to address increasingly frequent power outages across Uganda, warning that unreliable electricity supply is hurting households, businesses and the wider economy.
Mukula said electricity had become essential to Uganda’s economic and social activities, arguing that repeated interruptions were making it difficult for key sectors to operate efficiently.
“Electricity is no longer a luxury; it is the bloodstream of a modern economy,” Mukula said, citing hospitals, factories, schools, businesses, telecommunications companies and households among those affected by unreliable supply.
He directed his criticism at the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), urging its management to improve the reliability of the distribution network and ensure consumers benefit from ongoing investments.
According to Mukula, UEDCL has acknowledged that some parts of the distribution system are experiencing overloaded substations and feeders, maintenance challenges and infrastructure constraints.
He noted that the utility's current investment programme is intended to address some of these challenges through refurbishment, automation and substation upgrades aimed at reducing outages, improving infrastructure and addressing poor voltage.
However, Mukula said consumers should be able to see tangible improvements rather than rely on plans contained in official reports.
“Ugandans need to feel these improvements in their homes and businesses, not merely read about them in plans and reports,” he said.
Mukula also called on the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to strengthen its oversight of electricity distribution and demand measurable improvements from UEDCL.
He said key areas that should be monitored include grid reliability, preventive maintenance, response times to faults, transformer availability and communication with consumers during outages.
According to Mukula, prolonged and unexplained power interruptions have wider economic consequences because they can disrupt production, damage electrical equipment and affect investor confidence.
He acknowledged that modernising an ageing electricity distribution network would require time and substantial investment, but maintained that consumers should expect accountability and reliable service during the process.
“We acknowledge that rebuilding and modernising an ageing distribution network cannot happen overnight. But consumers are entitled to expect competence, accountability, urgency and reliable service,” he said.
Mukula further argued that improving electricity distribution was critical to Uganda's industrialisation ambitions.
“Uganda cannot industrialise in darkness. We have sufficient generation capacity; now distribution reliability must match our national economic ambitions,” he said.
He concluded by calling for improved management and faster action to address the challenges affecting electricity consumers, urging the relevant authorities to “fix the grid” and keep Uganda powered.