By Elijah Khisa
More than 100 electricity consumers have benefited from an interactive engagement with officials from the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), aimed at addressing service delivery challenges and strengthening relations between the power distributor and its customers.
UEDCL officials pledged to strengthen engagement with electricity consumers through public sensitisation campaigns on the proper use of electricity, prevention of power theft and protection of electricity infrastructure.
The commitment was made on Tuesday, October 13, 2026, during a stakeholder engagement organised by UEDCL’s Wandegeya region at Kolping Hotel in Bwaise, where senior officials delivered technical presentations on the company’s performance and operations.
The Kawempe North Member of Parliament, Erias Luyimbazi Nalukoola, commended UEDCL for improving its power distribution capacity, saying reliable electricity was essential for industrial growth and domestic consumption.
Nalukoola said Kawempe North had more than 230,000 registered voters, representing a substantial potential consumer base that required adequate and reliable electricity with minimal interruptions.
He urged community members to join efforts to combat electricity theft and vandalism of power infrastructure, noting that such practices undermine economic development and lead to revenue losses.
The Kawempe Division Mayor, Dr Emmanuel Serunjoji, called on UEDCL to streamline its operations and conduct regular consumer sensitisation campaigns.
Serunjoji welcomed the engagement, saying such meetings were important in strengthening relations between the company and electricity consumers.
Senior UEDCL officials, including Jesca Florence Zziwa, head of commercial and operations for regional services in the Central Region; Samson Tondo Ssemakalu, head of engineering services for the Central Region; Perpetua Kyalisiima, Wandegeya area manager; and Geoffrey Mukune, manager of territory operations, made presentations on the company’s mandate and the state of the electricity distribution network.
The officials said the electricity distribution system had undergone improvements since UEDCL took over from Umeme, adding that the company was continuing to strengthen its technical and operational capacity to minimise outages that inconvenience consumers.
They attributed persistent power interruptions partly to vandalism and interference with the distribution network but pledged to work more closely with stakeholders to improve the quality and reliability of electricity supply.
The Principal Hospital Administrator at Kawempe National Referral Hospital, Mary Kabugho, expressed concern about frequent power outages, saying they threatened service delivery at the facility, particularly in the care of newborn babies who depend on oxygen support.
Kabugho explained that power interruptions affect the hospital’s oxygen plant, potentially disrupting oxygen supply to incubators and placing vulnerable newborns at risk.
She called on UEDCL to prioritise the hospital by providing a dedicated, standalone power transformer to ensure a stable electricity supply.
In response, UEDCL officials said they had installed a new standalone mini-transformer at the Kawanda power substation specifically to serve Kawempe National Referral Hospital. They said the supply line runs underground to minimise disruptions and other inconveniences.
The officials reaffirmed the company’s commitment to addressing technical challenges affecting the hospital and ensuring a constant, stable and reliable electricity supply.
The Makerere III Parish councillor, Kyobe Muhammad, decried frequent power outages, saying they affected business productivity and contributed to increased criminal incidents at night.
Kyobe urged UEDCL to replace deteriorating electricity poles promptly, upgrade overloaded transformers and strengthen community engagement to improve service delivery.
He pledged that community leaders would work closely with UEDCL staff to identify and report electricity theft and vandalism, describing the collaboration as essential in preventing avoidable deaths and injuries associated with electricity-related incidents.
Meanwhile, the Wandegeya Police Division Commander, SP David Wills Ndaula, who was represented by the Officer in Charge of the Child and Family Protection Unit, AIP Rebecca Nababi, cautioned the public against stealing electricity or vandalising power infrastructure.
Nababi said such acts undermine the country’s economic development and negatively affect the communities where the offences occur.
She warned that police, other security agencies and community leaders would work together to combat electricity infrastructure vandalism and related crimes.
The engagement provided a platform for consumers, political leaders, security officials and other stakeholders to raise concerns about electricity distribution and propose measures to improve service delivery across the area.
