The Manager of the Office of the National Chairman (ONC), Hajjat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, has called for greater accountability in electricity distribution and faster connections for customers as she engaged officials from the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) over persistent power outages.
During a meeting at the ONC offices in Kyambogo, Kampala, Ms Namyalo urged the responsible institutions to address disruptions affecting households and businesses, particularly customers who have paid for electricity connections but are still waiting to be connected.
The meeting brought together Ibrahim Kasita, ERA’s Principal Engagement Officer, and Costa Nantume from the authority’s Consumer Affairs Department. The delegation visited Ms Namyalo following concerns she had raised about prolonged outages, delayed connections and the performance of the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL).
Ms Namyalo welcomed the delegation but said consumers needed tangible improvements rather than continued explanations for the disruptions.
“I welcome ERA’s visit and appreciate their decision to come and clarify the issues we raised. However, we need to see faster action because Ugandans deserve reliable electricity, and those who have paid for connections should not continue waiting without being connected,” she said.
She urged Parliament to investigate the outstanding connection backlog and establish why customers who had paid for electricity connections were still waiting for the service.
Ms Namyalo also called for a forensic audit of the Shs1.71 trillion reportedly handled by UEDCL to establish how the funds were utilised.
“We need a forensic audit of the Shs1.71 trillion reportedly handled by UEDCL to establish how the money was utilised. Parliament should also investigate the outstanding connections and establish why customers who have paid are still waiting for electricity,” she said.
She further questioned whether the institutions responsible for electricity distribution had adequate personnel to address recurring outages and delays, calling for a coordinated response from the regulator, the distributor and other government agencies.
ERA cites vandalism, network constraints
Mr Kasita said vandalism, ageing infrastructure, network constraints and increasing electricity demand were among the factors affecting reliable power distribution.
He explained that Uganda’s electricity challenges were not simply a question of generation capacity but also the ability of transmission and distribution infrastructure to deliver power to consumers.
According to Mr Kasita, the country’s installed generation capacity stood at approximately 2,098 megawatts by the end of 2025, against maximum demand of 1,345.3 megawatts.
Despite the available generation capacity, overloaded transformers and substations, ageing equipment and network faults continued to affect electricity supply.
The challenges have implications for households and businesses that depend on stable power for domestic needs, production and service delivery.
UEDCL targets December deadline
On delayed connections, Mr Kasita said UEDCL was working to clear the outstanding backlog by the end of December 2026.
He said the company had connected approximately 159,000 customers during the year to date, while shortages of electricity meters and other connection materials had contributed to delays.
Additional supplies and faster procurement processes were expected to support efforts to connect customers awaiting the service.
Mr Kasita also outlined infrastructure upgrades intended to ease pressure on the distribution network and reduce outages in affected areas.
He said UEDCL had replaced 1,110 distribution transformers in the year to July 2026.
Other interventions include increasing the capacity of Kawanda Substation from 40 megavolt-amperes (MVA) to 80 MVA, developing a new substation at Matugga and addressing faults affecting Entebbe, Namasuba and Kisubi.
According to Mr Kasita, the improvements are intended to strengthen the distribution network and improve the reliability of electricity supply as demand grows.
Rural businesses affected
Ms Namyalo said unreliable electricity was particularly disruptive to rural communities and small businesses, including welders, salon operators and maize millers whose livelihoods depend on a stable power supply.
She said prolonged outages affect business operations and incomes, making reliable electricity an important component of efforts to expand economic opportunities.
Ms Namyalo urged ERA, UEDCL, the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and other relevant agencies to work together to address the challenges.
She also linked improved electricity access to the government’s socio-economic transformation agenda, arguing that dependable power was necessary to support businesses and household livelihoods.
In response, Mr Kasita assured Ms Namyalo that consumers should begin to see improvements in electricity supply within six months as the responsible agencies implement measures to address outages and delayed connections.
Ms Namyalo urged the agencies to honour that commitment and ensure that planned interventions translate into better services for consumers.
The engagement comes amid continued public concern about electricity reliability and access following UEDCL’s takeover of distribution operations from Umeme in April 2025.
UEDCL’s commitment to clear the outstanding connection backlog by December 2026 will be a key milestone in addressing delays affecting customers, while the promised improvements in supply will be closely watched by households and businesses grappling with power interruptions.