KAWEMPE, Kampala (UGNEWSLINE) –
The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has pledged to strengthen engagement with electricity consumers and other stakeholders in Kawempe to improve service delivery and promote the safe and efficient use of electricity.
The commitment was made on October 13, 2026, by senior UEDCL officials during a stakeholder engagement with the company’s Wandegeya region at Kolping Hotel in Bwaise, where they presented the company’s performance indicators and outlined measures to improve electricity distribution.
The Kawempe North Member of Parliament, Erias Luyimbazi Nalukoola, commended UEDCL for improving its electricity distribution capacity, saying reliable power supply was essential for industrial growth and domestic consumption.
He said Kawempe North has a population represented by more than 230,000 registered voters, highlighting the need to provide residents and businesses with adequate and reliable electricity while minimising outages.
Nalukoola urged community leaders and residents to join efforts to combat electricity theft and vandalism of power infrastructure, noting that such practices undermine economic development and cause revenue losses.
Kawempe Division Mayor Dr Emmanuel Serunjoji called on UEDCL to streamline its operations and conduct regular public sensitisation campaigns to educate consumers about proper electricity use.
He welcomed the stakeholder engagement, saying such meetings help strengthen relationships between the company and its customers.
Senior UEDCL officials, including Jesca Florence Zziwa, Head of Commercial and Operations for Regional Services in the Central Region; Samson Tondo Ssemakalu, Head of Engineering Services in the Central Region; Perpetua Kyalisiima, Wandegeya Area Manager; and Geoffrey Mukune, Manager of Territory Operations, made presentations on the company’s mandate and the state of the electricity distribution network.
The officials said electricity distribution has improved since UEDCL took over from Umeme and that the company was continuing to strengthen its technical and operational capacity to reduce outages that inconvenience consumers.
They attributed persistent power interruptions partly to vandalism and interference with the electricity distribution system. However, they pledged to work more closely with communities and other stakeholders to improve the reliability and quality of electricity supply.
Stakeholders raise concerns over outages
The Principal Hospital Administrator at Kawempe National Referral Hospital, Mary Kabugho, expressed concern over frequent power outages, saying they disrupt services at the facility, particularly those involving newborn babies who require specialised care and oxygen support.
Kabugho explained that power interruptions can affect the hospital’s oxygen plant and compromise the supply of oxygen to incubators, potentially putting vulnerable newborns at risk.
She called on UEDCL to prioritise the hospital by providing it with a dedicated, stand-alone power transformer to minimise interruptions and ensure a stable electricity supply.
In response, UEDCL officials said they had established a new stand-alone mini-transformer at the Kawanda power substation specifically to serve Kawempe National Referral Hospital. They added that the power supply line runs underground to minimise disruptions and other inconveniences.
The officials said the company recognised the hospital’s critical role and was addressing technical challenges to ensure a constant, stable and reliable electricity supply.
Makerere III Parish councillor Kyobe Muhammad also decried frequent power outages, saying they affect business productivity and contribute to insecurity, particularly at night.
He urged UEDCL to replace ageing and rotten electricity poles promptly, upgrade overloaded transformers and strengthen community engagement to improve service delivery.
Kyobe pledged that local leaders would work closely with UEDCL staff to identify and report electricity theft and vandalism, describing the effort as essential to preventing avoidable deaths and injuries associated with electricity-related incidents.
Meanwhile, Wandegeya Police Division Commander SP Ndaula David Wills, represented by the Officer in Charge of the Child and Family Protection Unit, AIP Nababi Rebecca, warned the public against electricity theft and vandalism of power infrastructure.
She said such offences undermine economic development and negatively affect the communities where they occur.
Nababi added that police, other security agencies and community leaders would work together to combat electricity infrastructure vandalism and related crimes.
The engagement provided a platform for community leaders, security officials, health workers and other stakeholders to raise concerns about power reliability and discuss ways to improve electricity distribution and strengthen cooperation with UEDCL.
