The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has appealed to Ugandans to bear with the temporary inconveniences arising from ongoing efforts to improve electricity supply and infrastructure across the country.
Speaking at the Uganda Media Centre on Tuesday, October 7, 2025, the Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa, said the government is undertaking extensive projects aimed at modernizing and expanding the power distribution network.
Minister Nankabirwa revealed that a loan has been approved to support the construction of new substations, including one on a seven-acre piece of land in Ntinda. She added that major upgrades are currently underway at Kakiri Substation, which will see its capacity doubled from 10MW to 20MW to stabilize power supply in the surrounding areas.
“In Kabale, we have already expanded the substation from 2.5MW to 5MW, and across the country, UEDCL has replaced 206 faulty transformers while connecting 140,000 new customers to the grid,” Nankabirwa said.
She attributed frequent power interruptions to the overloading of aging substations such as Namugona, which was built in 1944 and is now struggling to meet the growing power demand.
The minister also decried the continued acts of vandalism targeting electricity infrastructure in areas such as Kololo, Mbuya, and Mbarara, noting that such incidents have disrupted supply and delayed progress.
“To curb vandalism, we have extended a three-month amnesty for individuals involved in these acts to voluntarily surrender under the ‘Wetereze’ campaign,” she announced.
Nankabirwa reaffirmed the government’s commitment, in partnership with UEDCL, to strengthen electricity distribution and transmission networks in line with the country’s fast-growing demand for power.
She also urged security agencies and the public to apprehend individuals impersonating UEDCL or former UMEME staff and soliciting money from customers for services that are supposed to be free.
