MPs have blamed the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) for nationwide power cuts, accusing it of poor performance.
Ignatius Wamakuyu Mudimi, the independent MP for Elgon County, said load shedding had cut his weekly power spending from Shs200,000 to Shs46,000.
He asked who was losing out and said he believed the government was. He added that the cuts were hurting other sectors of the economy.
Rebecca Kyarampe (Mitooma) said the outages had hit businesses and cost young people their jobs.
William Chemonges (NRM, Kween) said his request for power had been pending for five years. Health facilities and town councils in his area still had no electricity.
He asked why seed schools and Health Centre IIIs were being built in areas without power. He demanded a full statement from the minister.
Rufina Cheutich, the Amudat woman MP, said only three subcounties in her area had power. She said health workers were using phones as torches to deliver babies.
Khemis Muzaidi (FDC, Arua Central) asked why Uganda was exporting power to the Democratic Republic of Congo while Arua had none.
Several MPs questioned the equipment on the network. Eng Annet Nabadduka, the independent Kibaale woman MP, said Chinese-made transformers were unreliable. She also pointed to cable theft.
Ivan Kyeyune (Independent, Nakasongola) condemned the vandalism of cables. He said the resulting darkness had led to thefts of number plates. He asked the Uganda National Bureau of Standards to test transformers before they reach the market.
Linos Ngompek asked UEDCL to work with the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority to cut red tape in transformer repairs.
Dr Edward Kikabi (Kyankwanzi) said government bodies must pay their power bills. He also blamed overloading for breakdowns at the Mutundwe and Kajjansi substations.
Edward Makmott (Agago) called for an audit of the energy sector. He said 80 per cent of transformers were unprotected.
Some MPs wanted the old arrangement back. Charles Tebandeke (NUP, Bbaale) said the public wanted Umeme to return. The company ran power distribution for two decades.
Lubowa Gyaviira, the shadow finance minister (NUP, Nyendo-Mukungwe), said the current utility was very different. He asked the minister to make UEDCL learn from Umeme’s operations.
Others pushed for alternatives. Anthony Tumwesigye (Isingiro South) said the problem would persist without another private power company.
Johnson Nyeko Zedekia (Lamwo) proposed biomass because it is cheap and climate-friendly. Julius Nakiyi (Budadiri) said Uganda had enough power but managed it badly. He urged MPs to table an energy efficiency bill.
Replying, the state minister for Energy, Sidronius Okaasai, admitted that the network was overloaded. He blamed limited investment by Umeme in its last three years.
He said UEDCL’s board would soon be in place. He added that the government planned to pursue nuclear, geothermal, biomass and solar power, although solar remained unreliable.
Okaasai said the government was targeting 52,000 MW by 2040, with 24,000 MW coming from nuclear energy. He said demand had risen by 12 per cent.
He said the Buy Uganda Build Uganda policy had been relaxed so UEDCL could import 1,000 transformers.
