The company connected approximately 80,000 customers over the past two months and is targeting monthly connections of 50,000
Kampala, Uganda | ENTEBBENEWS.NET | Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) is seeking $994mn in infrastructure investment over the next five years to address growing pressure on the electricity distribution network, as frequent power outages since the government’s takeover from Umeme continue to frustrate households and businesses.
The investment plan comes amid mounting scrutiny of the state-owned utility, which assumed responsibility for electricity distribution on April 1, 2025, following the expiry of Umeme’s 20-year concession.
The transition was expected to improve service delivery and reduce electricity costs. Instead, consumers have faced persistent and, in some areas, prolonged blackouts, prompting questions about the utility’s capacity to manage the national distribution network.
The concerns have also reached Parliament, where lawmakers have questioned the Energy Ministry and UEDCL over worsening outages and the slow response to customer complaints. In August 2026, the Public Accounts Committee asked the two institutions to explain why electricity reliability had deteriorated despite the change in management.
The operational challenges have coincided with management turbulence at the utility. Former Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa was sent on forced leave in May 2026 amid concerns about the company’s performance, while seven senior managers were subsequently dismissed in June following investigations into workplace culture and operational performance.
Against this backdrop, UEDCL’s latest investment projections offer an indication of the scale of the infrastructure challenge facing the company.
Of the estimated $994mn required over five years, approximately $107mn has been identified for priority projects through December 2027, focusing on network rehabilitation and capacity expansion.
New interventions
Speaking at a media briefing in Kampala, Acting Managing Director Eng. Joselynne R. Rwabwogo said the company was implementing immediate interventions to ease pressure on the network while pursuing longer-term investments.
UEDCL’s customer base has grown by approximately 71 per cent over five years, from 1.64mn in 2021 to about 2.8mn currently. The expansion has increased electricity demand, placing additional pressure on transformers, distribution lines and substations, particularly in rapidly growing urban and peri-urban areas.
“We are focusing on addressing capacity constraints in several priority areas. In Gayaza, for example, we have initiated work on an additional eight-kilometre electricity line that will allow us to transfer demand to a substation with available capacity. We are also working closely with UETCL on interventions to relieve pressure on the network along Masaka Road,” she said.
Other areas requiring intervention include Namugongo, the Gayaza corridor covering Nakwero, Kiwologooma, Kitukutwe, Kijabijjo and Busukuuma, as well as the Kakiri corridor stretching from Kabulengwa to Wamala.
UEDCL said it had completed network improvements in Seeta, Bukerere, Kawanda, Mbarara and Bombo. In Mubende, network reconfiguration reduced recorded outages from 12 in one month to three in the following month. Emergency repairs to underground cables affecting Entebbe, Namasuba and Kisubi have also been completed.
The company faces the challenge of maintaining existing infrastructure while expanding capacity to accommodate new customers. The scale of the problem means that some interventions will take longer to deliver.
“Some of the challenges affecting electricity supply require significant infrastructure investment and cannot be resolved overnight. However, we are implementing targeted measures to address immediate constraints while working towards more sustainable improvements. We recognise the concerns customers have raised and remain committed to improving the reliability of the electricity they receive,” she said.
Equipment shortages have further complicated efforts to restore supply. During the year ending July 2026, UEDCL replaced 1,110 distribution transformers, exceeding its target of 853. Average transformer replacement times also declined from 38 days at the end of June to less than 14 days by the end of August.
Transformer challenge
However, transformer availability remains constrained by rising demand and the limited production capacity of some local manufacturers supplying equipment under the Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) framework.
UEDCL is reviewing procurement arrangements and engaging the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) on supplementary sourcing options to improve short-term availability, while supporting domestic manufacturers to expand production.
The company is also stepping up preventive maintenance, including vegetation clearance and replacement of ageing equipment, while strengthening measures to curb vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure.
Beyond the reliability challenges, the utility is under pressure to clear a backlog of electricity connection applications and improve its customer service.
The company’s Chief Commercial and Operations Officer Isaac Katewanga said the backlog had been compounded by previous constraints in the supply of electricity meters, although availability had since improved.
“We have sufficient meter supplies at the moment and are working closely with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to accelerate meter testing and clearance. This is helping us make more meters available for installation and increase the number of customers being connected,” Katewanga said.
Increase connections
UEDCL connected approximately 80,000 customers over the past two months and is targeting monthly connections of 50,000 by next month.
The company is also improving coordination between its commercial, customer service and technical departments to reduce delays in processing applications and responding to complaints. Additional frontline support and better communication are intended to provide customers with clearer information on reported faults and restoration timelines.
For the government, the performance of UEDCL carries wider economic implications. Reliable electricity is essential to industrial production, agricultural processing and the expansion of businesses, all of which underpin Uganda’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.
“Reliable electricity is essential to supporting industrial growth, healthcare, agriculture, businesses and households. As demand continues to increase, our responsibility is to strengthen the distribution network while improving the quality of service customers receive,” Rwabwogo said.
The return of electricity distribution to public management was also intended to give government greater control over a critical national asset, strengthen domestic technical capacity and direct resources towards infrastructure improvements.
UEDCL has pointed to a reduction in the end-user electricity tariff from approximately Shs486 to Shs396 per unit, representing a decline of nearly 19 per cent, as one of the benefits of the transition.
But the tariff reduction has yet to resolve consumers’ concerns about the quality and consistency of electricity supply.
