National Grid Failure Plunges Uganda into Darkness

Uganda experienced a total blackout Friday night after the national electricity grid suffered a significant system failure. The outage began precisely at 9:07 PM on June 5, 2026, plunging the entire country into darkness and sparking public concern over the reliability of the power supply.

The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) immediately deployed technical teams to identify the cause and rectify the situation. While the exact trigger remains officially unconfirmed, sources within the energy sector suggest a fault at the Nalubaale Power Station in Jinja may have initiated the collapse. The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) also alerted its customers to the transmission network issue.

After several hours of intensive work, UETCL announced the restoration of the national grid in the early hours of Saturday, June 6, 2026, at midnight. UEDCL confirmed power had been returned to most areas, but advised any customers still experiencing outages to contact them through their official channels.

This incident serves as a stark reminder of the persistent challenges facing Uganda’s power sector. The recent transition from private distributor Umeme to state-managed UEDCL had raised hopes for improved services. However, the blackout has revived memories of past widespread outages that have historically disrupted businesses, healthcare, and daily life, underscoring the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades.