BY

HON. DR. CANON RUTH NANKABIRWA SSENTAMU
MINISTER FOR ENERGY AND MINERAL DEVELOPMENT


TUESDAY, 7TH OCTOBER 2025


UGANDA MEDIA CENTRE





Fellow Citizens of Uganda,
The Permanent Secretary and Staff of My Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development,
Management and Staff of the Electricity Regulatory Authority,
Management and Staff of Sector Agencies and Utilities.
Management and staff of Uganda Media Centre,
Members of the Press,
Good morning,

1.I bring you greetings from the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and I thank you for joining me today on yet another press briefing by the Ministry.
2.This press briefing is intended to update the country on the status of Electricity Distribution Services and the steps being undertaken to ensure that we deliver a reliable service
3.I was last here to update you on this matter when UEDCL made 100 days in July 2025 in its operation of the distribution network following the end of the UMEME Concession.
4.Over the past years, our annual energy demand has grown at an average rate of 10%. This has been driven largely by increased industrial consumption and the growing number of new customer connections.
5.This growth coincided with the UMEME concession transition period in which capital investments in the distribution network were constrained due to the short capital mobilization and investment recovery period. This created a period of reduced capital investments within the distribution network, which has affected the reliability and quality of power supply.
6.Since assuming full responsibility, UEDCL has undertaken the following actions to improve reliability of power supply:
i.Made critical upgrades at Kakiri, where the substation was expanded from 10MW to 20MW;
ii.Made critical upgrades at Kabale, where the substation was expanded from 2.5MW to 5MW;
iii.Made critical upgrades at Masaka Central substation where the substation was expanded from 5MW to 7MW;
iv.Replaced 206 faulty transformers;
v.Connected 140,000 new customers in total to date.
7.Further to the above, UEDCL has secured land for new substations at Magyigye and Kawempe, and has drawn up plans to refurbish nine substations, inject 518 new transformers, and expand 40 medium-voltage lines geared towards improving reliability of power supply by the close of 2025.
8.Most of the new components being installed by UEDCL are sourced locally in line with the Buy Uganda Build Uganda (BUBU) Policy, strengthening both our power sector and local industries. We are working with the local industries to support them to meet the growing requirements for equipment and materials such as transformers for the sector.
9.Fellow citizens, I must also address a persistent challenge of Vandalism, in areas such as Kololo, Mukono, Kayunga, Masaka, Mpigi, Luwero, Nakasongola, Mityana, Mubende, and Mbarara. Acts of vandalism have continued to undermine progress, causing unnecessary outages for our communities. The Ministry together with its agencies is working with the relevant security organs to combat this vice and strides have been made in this regard. However, this requires a joint effort and I therefore call upon all RDCs, leaders, and citizens to join me in the fight against this menace. Let us protect our infrastructure and safeguard our shared progress.
10.To further address power theft and unsafe connections, we launched the Weterezeeee Campaign. This campaign provides electricity users with direct supply, bypassed, or tampered meters the opportunity to voluntarily regularize their connections without penalties. To date, over 22,937 Ugandans have responded. I urge all citizens to take advantage of this opportunity. Electricity theft and unsafe losses cause losses to the sector but also endanger lives and property. Based on the performance of the campaign, I’m delighted to inform the country that I have extended it up to 31 October 2025.
11.I wish to also inform the public of the ongoing campaign under the Free Electricity Connections Policy where Government under the Ministry’s Electricity Access Scale Up Project (EASP) is supporting the no pole and one pole connection service. Pls contact the nearest UEDCL Office.
12.I wish to reassure the nation that Government remains fully committed to investing in the distribution and transmission sectors. We are determined to match the fast-growing demand for electricity with infrastructure that is modern, resilient, and sustainable. The Government has approved UEDCL’s five-year investment strategy which will see significant investment in the distribution network as we continue to enhance the generation and transmission infrastructure.
13.I thank you all for joining me today as I update the country on the status of our electricity distribution network and the steps we are taking to ensure that we deliver a reliable power supply for all Ugandans.

For God and My Country.