Uganda to procure 1.1 million Yaka meters to clear connection backlog

The government has announced plans to procure more than 1.1 million prepaid electricity (Yaka) meters over the next year to tackle a nationwide shortage that has delayed thousands of electricity connections.

State Minister for Energy Sidronius Okaasai made the commitment in Parliament on Thursday after legislators raised concerns over prolonged waits for Yaka meters and frequent power outages in several parts of the country.

The procurement programme will see 1.125 million meters delivered in three phases, with 275,000 expected between July and September this year, another 550,000 between October and December, and the remaining 300,000 between January and June 2027.

“We are aware that there was a shortage of Yaka meters. The procurement process is underway and installation will begin immediately after delivery, including in areas where people have waited for a long time to be connected,” Mr Okaasai told Parliament.

The announcement followed concerns by Makindye-Ssabagabo Municipality MP David Sserukenya, who said many Ugandans remain unconnected months after completing the application process.

“I applied for one in March 2026, and up to today I am still on the pending list. Secondly, load shedding is the order of the day. Sometimes when power returns, the voltage is very low and many people have suffered losses,” Mr Sserukenya said.

The minister acknowledged the shortage of prepaid meters but rejected claims that Uganda is experiencing nationwide load shedding.

Instead, he attributed the frequent outages to an overstretched electricity distribution network struggling to keep pace with rapid urbanisation and growing electricity demand.

“There is no load shedding in the country. What people are experiencing are outages caused by overloaded transformers and infrastructure that can no longer meet the increasing electricity demand in rapidly developing areas,” he said.

According to the ministry, many transformers installed years ago to serve small communities are now supplying densely populated residential and commercial areas, leading to frequent breakdowns and voltage fluctuations.

To address the problem, the government is upgrading transformers, expanding substations and strengthening electricity distribution infrastructure, particularly in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.

Mr Okaasai said a new substation will be constructed in Ntinda to serve domestic consumers, while industrial users will increasingly be supplied through separate substations to reduce pressure on the existing network.

“Kampala has developed so fast that many consumers rely on one substation. We are now separating substations serving industries from those supplying households to improve reliability,” he said.

Uganda has significantly expanded electricity generation in recent years through projects such as the Karuma and Isimba hydropower dams. However, sector experts say the country’s biggest challenge has shifted from generating power to distributing it efficiently.

The shortage of prepaid meters has compounded the problem by delaying electricity access for thousands of households and businesses even where the distribution network is already in place.

The planned procurement is expected to reduce the backlog of pending electricity connections and support the government’s target of expanding access to reliable electricity as demand continues to rise.