UEDCL sets out plan to tackle power outages as demand outstrips network capacity

Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has outlined short- and long-term measures to reduce power outages, saying rapid growth in demand has outpaced the capacity of parts of its distribution network.

The company’s customer base has grown by about 71% over the past five years, from 1.64 million in 2021 to about 2.8 million today. According to UEDCL, this growth has strained the network, particularly in areas where infrastructure investment has not kept pace.

Speaking at a press briefing in Kampala, UEDCL Acting Managing Director Eng Joselynne R. Rwabwogo said the company was focusing on areas facing the most severe capacity constraints.

“We are focusing on addressing capacity constraints in several priority areas. In Gayaza, for example, we have initiated work on an additional eight-kilometre electricity line that will allow us to transfer demand to a substation with available capacity. We are also working closely with UETCL on interventions to relieve pressure on the network along Masaka Road,” she said.

Other priority areas include Namugongo, the Gayaza corridor covering Nakwero, Kiwologooma, Kitukutwe, Kijabijjo and Busukuuma, and the Kakiri corridor, which stretches from Kabulengwa to Wamala.

Eng Rwabwogo said some of the problems would take time to resolve.

“Some of the challenges affecting electricity supply require significant infrastructure investment and cannot be resolved overnight. However, we are implementing targeted measures to address immediate constraints while working towards more sustainable improvements. We recognise the concerns customers have raised and remain committed to improving the reliability of the electricity they receive,” she said.

The company says it has already carried out network improvements in Seeta, Bukerere, Kawanda, Mbarara and Bombo. In Mubende, it says network reconfiguration reduced recorded outages from 12 in one month to three the following month. Emergency repairs to underground cables affecting Entebbe, Namasuba and Kisubi have also been completed.

To speed up fault response, UEDCL says it is increasing the number of technicians supporting network operations and deploying standby personnel when required.

Faulty transformers remain a key cause of prolonged outages. The company says it replaced 1,110 distribution transformers in the year ending July 2026, against a target of 853. It also reports that average replacement times fell from 38 days at the end of June to under 14 days by the end of August.

However, UEDCL says transformer availability remains a challenge because demand has exceeded the production capacity of some local manufacturers supplying equipment under the Buy Uganda, Build Uganda (BUBU) framework.

The company says it is improving procurement planning and supporting local manufacturers to expand production. It is also engaging the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) on supplementary sourcing options.

UEDCL says it is also carrying out preventive maintenance, including vegetation clearance and replacement of ageing equipment, and stepping up efforts against vandalism and theft of electricity infrastructure.

Beyond outages, the company says it is working through an inherited backlog of connection applications, worsened by earlier shortages of meters.

UEDCL Chief Commercial and Operations Officer Isaac Katewanga said meter supply had improved.

“We have sufficient meter supplies at the moment and are working closely with the Uganda National Bureau of Standards (UNBS) to accelerate meter testing and clearance. This is helping us make more meters available for installation and increase the number of customers being connected,” Katewanga said.

The company says it connected about 80,000 customers over the past two months and aims to raise monthly connections to 50,000 by December.

Katewanga said UEDCL was also improving coordination between its commercial, customer service and technical teams. The company says it is adding frontline customer service staff so that customers get clearer updates on reported faults and restoration.

UEDCL estimates it needs USD 994 million in infrastructure investment over the next five years to expand access, improve reliability and modernise ageing infrastructure. About USD 107 million of this is for priority network rehabilitation and capacity expansion projects through December 2027.

Eng Rwabwogo said strengthening the distribution network would be essential to meeting Uganda’s growing energy needs and supporting the government’s Tenfold Growth Strategy.

“Reliable electricity is essential to supporting industrial growth, healthcare, agriculture, businesses and households. As demand continues to increase, our responsibility is to strengthen the distribution network while improving the quality of service customers receive,” she said.

UEDCL says the return of electricity distribution to public management has already benefited consumers. It cites a reduction in the end-user tariff from about UGX 486 to UGX 396 per unit, a drop of nearly 19%.