By Diana N. Kintu
After years of frequent power outages that disrupted businesses, households and essential services, residents of Kasese, Rubirizi and Bushenyi districts are set to benefit from a major electricity network upgrade following the launch of a UGX 16 billion reliability improvement project by the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL).
The project will refurbish the Nkenda–Kasese and Nkenda–Ishaka 33kV distribution feeders, which have experienced persistent outages since 2022, improving the stability of electricity supply while enabling the network to carry increasing power generated by hydropower plants in the Rwenzori region.
Speaking during the groundbreaking ceremony, Kasese Resident District Commissioner Lt. Joe Walusimbi welcomed the investment, describing it as a timely intervention for communities that have struggled with unreliable electricity.
“This intervention is timely and will greatly improve electricity reliability for our communities while supporting businesses and economic activities across the region. We shall also work closely with UEDCL to protect this infrastructure from vandalism,” Walusimbi said.
He appealed to residents to safeguard the power network, noting that protecting public infrastructure is essential if communities are to enjoy uninterrupted electricity.
According to UEDCL Project Manager Johnson Okochi, the Nkenda–Ishaka line was identified among Uganda’s poorest-performing distribution lines in 2022, recording more than 500 hours of power outages annually.
He explained that repeated bush fires, especially around Queen Elizabeth National Park, weakened wooden electricity poles, while growing electricity generation from Kyambura, Lubilia and Nyamagasani I & II hydropower plants placed additional pressure on the ageing network.
“We are replacing deteriorated infrastructure and strengthening critical sections of the network so that it can reliably evacuate electricity from the growing number of hydropower plants while reducing outages for customers,” Okochi said.
The project includes upgrading more than 100 kilometres of electricity conductors, replacing over 1,000 wooden poles with durable concrete poles, and installing modern switching equipment such as auto-reclosers and motorised air-break switches.
Once completed, UEDCL says the upgraded network will reduce unplanned outages, improve voltage stability, lower technical losses and increase the capacity to distribute electricity across western Uganda.
Rwenzori Regional Territory Manager Marion Ninsiima assured customers that the temporary inconvenience during construction would lead to lasting improvements in service delivery.
“Our customers should expect fewer interruptions, better voltage stability, and a more reliable electricity supply once the project is completed,” she said.
She, however, cautioned that customers should expect planned outages on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays over the next eight months as engineers undertake the upgrades.
“We appeal to our customers to bear with us during the implementation period because the improvements we are making today will deliver much better service in the long term,” Ninsiima added.
The Nkenda–Ishaka Reliability Improvement Project forms part of UEDCL’s broader investment in modernising Uganda’s electricity distribution network to improve power reliability, support industrial growth and meet the country’s rising demand for electricity.