MPs Grill UEDCL Over Unfulfilled Promises and Service Delays

Members of Parliament are demanding answers from the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) regarding persistent delays in electricity connections and ongoing power blackouts. At the heart of the concern is the perceived lack of progress since UEDCL took over operations following the buyout of Umeme in 2025, despite the company receiving over Shs500 billion in funding.

Hon. Patrick Nsamba, Chairperson of the Public Accounts Committee (Central Government), highlighted that the public hasn’t witnessed a tangible difference in service delivery despite the substantial financial injections and inherited infrastructure. “Ugandans were promised big about the transition,” Nsamba stated, questioning the tangible benefits of the transition from Umeme.

Concerns were also raised about UEDCL’s capacity to handle customer complaints and ensure timely service. Hon. Betty Naluyima pointed out a decline in customer feedback channels, noting a lack of clear avenues for reporting issues compared to the previous system. UEDCL’s Acting Managing Director, Joselynne Rwakakooko, attributed some of the delays to limited funding for the timely maintenance of inherited substations, stating that infrastructure capability degrades without adequate investment.

Irene Batebe, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, informed the committee that approximately Shs477 billion has been allocated to UEDCL since 2025. However, she noted that a significant portion has been tied up in procurement processes for essential equipment like transformers and substations, despite efforts to streamline these through the PPDA framework.

MPs also pressed UEDCL on the backlog of connection requests from citizens who had paid for services prior to the Umeme buyout. Furthermore, representatives highlighted specific constituencies where requests for new transformers have been pending for years, questioning the company’s prioritization strategy. UEDCL acknowledged a shortage of electricity meters as a primary challenge but indicated that the recent arrival of over 100,000 meters is expected to help clear the existing backlog of connections.

Source: https://www.parliament.go.ug/news/4522/mps-quiz-uedcl-over-delayed-electricity-connections