UEDCL to Deploy Military in Kayunga to Combat Rampant Power Theft and Vandalism

The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has announced plans to deploy military personnel to Kayunga District in a decisive move to curb rampant electricity theft and infrastructure vandalism.

Speaking at the opening of Elektra Technical Services offices in Namagabi Village, Kayunga Town Council, UEDCL Kayunga Manager Phiona Mbabazi revealed that the district is a major hotspot for illegal connections and vandalism in the central region.

Mbabazi disclosed that the utility distributes power worth Shs3 billion to the area monthly. However, due to widespread power theft, collections stall at around Shs2 billion, leaving a staggering Shs1 billion monthly deficit. She emphasized that the impending military involvement aims to protect installations and apprehend culprits, urging residents to cooperate and report neighbors stealing electricity.

Kayunga has recently experienced a wave of wire and transformer thefts, particularly affecting Kayunga Town Council, as well as Busaana and Kangulumira sub-counties. Mbabazi also noted that persistent nationwide outages are partly driven by aging infrastructure inherited from Umeme, appealing for public patience as the company procures and maintains new equipment.

Kayunga District Police Commander Hussein Mugarura assured utility teams of full security cooperation to safeguard local power installations. Meanwhile, Elektra proprietor Henry Buyinza encouraged locals to utilize professional electrical services to prevent severe power wastage and dangerous electrocutions while highlighting local job creation for youth.

Read more on the Daily Monitor.