During a parliamentary session on March 11, 2025, the Minister of Energy, Ruth Nankabirwa, urged Ugandans to bear with the ongoing power outages, attributing them to the transition process following the expiration of Umeme’s concession on February 28, 2025. She revealed that the outages could persist until April 2025 as the government seeks funding to equip Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) for the full takeover of power distribution.
Her response came after Luwero Woman MP, Brenda Nabukenya, raised concerns about persistent power cuts in Luwero, where residents have only been receiving electricity for 2 to 6 hours a day over the past two months. Nabukenya decried the impact on businesses and health facilities, noting that critical medical supplies requiring refrigeration were at risk.
Minister Nankabirwa explained that the government had halted investments in Umeme before the concession ended, leading to reduced maintenance efforts. She reassured Parliament that once a pending loan is approved, UEDCL will be adequately funded to handle power distribution efficiently without delays in accessing resources for repairs and upgrades.
“This is a temporary challenge, and we ask for patience. By April 1, 2025, we expect UEDCL to be fully prepared to respond to power-related issues swiftly,” Nankabirwa stated. She also promised to investigate any additional causes of outages beyond the transition challenges.
Nabukenya, however, expressed frustration, emphasizing that electricity is a paid service, and citizens should not have to endure prolonged blackouts. “We cannot run businesses or health facilities on generators alone. Umeme has failed to provide reliable electricity, and we deserve better,” she asserted.
The debate highlighted growing concerns over Uganda’s power distribution as the country moves towards a new era of state-managed electricity supply.
