KAMPALA, Uganda (UGNEWSLINE) – The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has launched a nationwide blood donation drive targeting 3,000 units of blood across its 15 operational territories, reaffirming its commitment to community welfare as part of its Customer Experience Month activities.
The initiative, held under the theme “The Extra Mile,” brings together UEDCL, the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service and the Uganda Red Cross Society in a joint effort to strengthen the country’s blood supply and support patients who depend on transfusions to survive.
Speaking at the launch, Eng Joselyn Rwakakooko Rwabwogo, the UEDCL Managing Director said the campaign reflects the company’s belief that customer service extends beyond providing reliable electricity to making a meaningful difference in the lives of the communities it serves.
The Managing Director noted that while UEDCL continues to focus on improving electricity distribution, it also recognises its broader social responsibility to promote health and save lives.
The blood donation drive is being coordinated by UEDCL’s Customer Experience and Corporate Affairs teams, working with territory managers to mobilise staff, customers and other community members across the company’s 15 territories.
Eng. Joselyn Rwakakooko Rwabwogo, commended the teams involved in organising the campaign and encouraged all eligible employees and customers to participate, while mobilising friends, relatives and other members of the public to donate blood.
She also reaffirmed UEDCL’s commitment to improving electricity supply through distribution network strengthening, substation upgrades, refurbishment of distribution lines and improvements in response times.
Representing the Uganda Blood Transfusion Service Executive Director, Dr Dorothy, Mr Mugisha commended UEDCL and other partners for supporting efforts to ensure the availability of blood for patients in need.
He reported that annual blood collection had increased from 460,000 to approximately 475,000 units, highlighting the contribution of partnerships and voluntary donors to the country’s blood supply. He called for sustained public participation to ensure that blood remains available for medical emergencies, surgery, childbirth complications and patients with blood disorders.
Mr Mugisha also urged religious institutions, cultural leaders, Members of Parliament, corporate organisations and other community stakeholders to make blood donation a shared civic responsibility.
He emphasised that the need for blood cannot be eliminated entirely, even with improvements in healthcare and preventive services, making regular donations essential to sustaining transfusion services.
Uganda Red Cross Society Secretary General Robert Kwesiga similarly called for stronger partnerships and continuous community mobilisation to maintain a reliable blood supply. He explained that blood donation campaigns must be sustained throughout the year rather than treated as isolated events.
Kwesiga noted that taking donation activities closer to workplaces, schools, religious institutions and other community settings helps broaden participation and strengthen national blood collection efforts.
He commended UEDCL for extending its corporate social responsibility to a life-saving cause and expressed the Uganda Red Cross Society’s commitment to continued collaboration with the company and other partners.
Evas Bwzirakakye, the Head of Customer Experience at UEDCL called on eligible Ugandans to embrace voluntary blood donation and encourage others to participate, noting that a single donation can help save lives.
The campaign forms part of UEDCL’s October Customer Experience Month, through which the company seeks to go beyond its core electricity distribution mandate and demonstrate care for the well-being of its customers and the wider community.
