The 600 MW project, located in Karuma Town Council, Kiryandongo District has been commissioned by President Museveni on Thursday 26th September 2024.
President said that “Karuma Hydropower Plant is the latest and most ambitious step in our ongoing energy evolution,”.
According to the government, the project will bolster the economy and also empower communities including of helping the country to achieve universal access to electricity by 2030.
The plant features a 284-kilometre transmission line to Kawanda in Kampala, a 55-kilometre line to Olwiyo in Nwoya, and a 75-kilometre line to Lira City, ensuring power distribution to key load centres nationwide.
Dr Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development said that “the project represents a major milestone in our national energy strategy. It will significantly boost our power generation capacity, enhance energy security, and support sustainable development,” .
“The addition of Karuma’s 600 MW has seen an increase in Uganda’s generation capacity to 2,045.5 MW” she added.
Meanwhile, the project displaced about 3,735 people, including 280 landowners and 134 tenants and this remained a concern in the area.
Joseph Oryem Lilly, the LC1 Chairperson of Karuma Central Ward raised the the issue of the lack of compensation for over 125 landowners who contributed land to the project to kick off in 2013.
“The government should ensure that the affected people are fairly compensated” he stated.
However, Edith Aliguma Adyeri, Kiryandongo District Chairperson said that plans to resettle the affected families are underway. “Land for resettling affected families in neighbouring Nwoya District has already been acquired, but the process stalled due to insufficient funds” Ms. Aliguma stated.
The Karuma project, executed over 12 years by China’s Sinohydro Corporation Ltd, it has costed a total of $1.688 billion (UGX 6.261 trillion).
