The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has added more than 640,000 new connections to the national grid within just six months of taking over electricity distribution from Umeme, marking a major milestone for the government’s ambitious push to expand energy access.
Revealing the figures on September 16, 2025, UEDCL Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa announced that the company had increased the number of connections from 1,782,085 in April to 2,430,489 by September, just half a year into UEDCL’s stewardship.
Mwesigwa made the announcement while addressing the fifth edition of the weekly meeting of the State House Investors’ Protection Unit (SHIPU), a platform that brings together top government agencies to share progress updates and coordinate national development efforts.
“This is a fundamental achievement. The government took a fundamental decision to take over all the privately operated concessionaires. In that regard, the government has actually scored very well,” he said.
Beyond connections, Mwesigwa cited a host of other accomplishments since the state-owned entity assumed control.
He noted that the number of grid-connected households has grown from 1,687,267 to 2,327,898. grid length expanded from 3,431 km to 5,140 km, while installed generation capacity has risen from 1,362 megawatts to 2,049 megawatts.
Perhaps most notably, energy losses, long a thorn in Uganda’s power distribution system have dropped from 19.1% to 16.8% under UEDCL’s management.
UEDCL’s performance was widely applauded by other agency leaders present at the meeting, including Uganda Development Corporation (UDC) Executive Director Patrick Birungi, who chaired the session.
Other key figures included Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets Authority (PPDA) Executive Director Benson Turamye, Makerere College of Health Sciences Principal Prof. Bruce Kirenga, and senior monitoring and evaluation expert Desmond Tutu Opio from the Uganda Energy Credit Capitalisation Company (UECCC), who represented UECCC’s managing director.
Also in attendance were Mr. Kule Walid from Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), Uganda Development Forum CEO Edward Katende, and Mr. Osborn Turyasingura, who leads the Secretariat for Special Interest Groups.
During the session, Mwesigwa applauded PPDA for accrediting UEDCL, which he said has allowed the company to fast-track new connections.
Turamye, however, pointed to persistent challenges, particularly vandalism, which he said continues to hinder power access in rural areas. “It is a takeaway that needs follow-up,” he said.
On his part, UECCC’s Opio shared the agency’s nationwide efforts to accelerate access to renewable energy solutions. He explained that the agency is working to reduce Uganda’s reliance on biomass for cooking—from 86% in the Financial Year 2018/2019 to a target of 50% by 2025, aiming to reach over 353,000 households.
Opio added that UECCC is managing a $110 million financial intermediation component under the Energy Access Scale-Up Project (EASP), working in partnership with 27 financial institutions and 87 energy companies.
So far, the initiative has mobilized over $10 million in funding from the World Bank and European partners like GIZ and the Dutch government.
The results have been tangible: 20,200 solar lanterns, 306,000 home solar systems, and 307 carbonised biomass cookstoves have been deployed.
Additionally, UECCC has facilitated installation of 1,190 solar-powered water pumps and 277 solar-powered refrigerators in remote districts such as Mayuge and Pakwach, with support from partners like Stabex.
URSB’s Kule lauded UEDCL for executing a smooth transition from UMEME, calling the early results “encouraging” and urging the government to promote the achievement widely.
“This great achievement needs to be publicised on all mass media for the government to be visible,” he said.
UDF’s Katende echoed the call, suggesting that government success stories should be simplified and disseminated across platforms to increase public awareness.
Closing the meeting, UDC’s Patrick Birungi emphasized the importance of broad communication, revealing a slate of upcoming initiatives to increase public engagement on national development progress.
“By the end of this month, we shall have the economic forum on NBS TV, and in mid-October, we shall have the economic summit on NTV,” Birungi said.
He also mentioned that discussions are underway with New Vision for a regular development-focused publication and hinted at forthcoming collaborations with UBC and other media outlets.
As the government continues to reclaim and manage vital sectors like electricity, UEDCL’s performance in its first six months offers a glimpse of what could be a transformative period in Uganda’s power sector.
