Amidst a multitude of problems that Uganda faced, inadequate infrastructure was particularly serious before the NRM came on to the scene.
The country faced huge infrastructural gaps ranging from rampant electricity outages (load shedding), roads with potholes as well as few, expensive and unreliable telephone services.
After securing the country and working on a minimum economic recovery program, NRM embarked on a development agenda, starting with closing the infrastructure gap in order to provide a foundation for development-oriented investment.
Productivity in every sector of the economy is affected by the quality and performance of the country’s infrastructure, making it critical in competitiveness and ability to harness national, regional and global potential.
ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE AS UGANDA’S STRONGHOLD
NRM inherited a country with hydro-electricity generation capacity of 150 megawatts (MW) in FY1986/87 and only 60MW was being generated. This low electricity generation affected development and in particular industrialization.
In 2005, a decision was taken to invest in power generation so as to stem low supply. By the end of 2021, hydropower generation will stand at 1,868MW with the commissioning of Karuma (600MW).
NRM has also promoted other sources of energy including solar, geothermal, nuclear, thermal and bagasse energy. We are currently faced with a ‘good problem’ — surplus electricity. Total demand including exports was 680MW in June 2020, providing a surplus of close to 1,160MW. However, this surplus will be no more with increased industrialization, improved transmission, reduced costs, and efficiency in distribution. We are now dealing with the challenges of industrialization, transmission, distribution and cost.
POWER GENERATION: KEY POINTS
Hydropower generation will soon stand at 1,868MW with the commissioning of Karuma. Construction of Isimba Dam (183MW) and Ayago II Dam (42MW) was completed. Karuma Dam (600MW) works were at 98% by July 2020, while the construction of substations and transmission lines is at 80%. The following small dams were commissioned;
COMMISSIONED DAMS
Kikagati 14.0 MW
Kyambura 7.6 MW
Lubilia 5.4 MW
Muvumbe 6.5 MW
Ndugutu 5.9 MW
Nkusi 9.6 MW
Nyamagasani I 15.0 MW
Nyamwamba 9.2 MW
Rwimi 5.54 MW
Sindila 5.25 MW
Situ II 16.5 MW
Situ I 5.0 MW
Tororo Solar 10.0MW
Waki 4.8 MW
TOTAL 120.28
DAMS ARE UNDER CONSTRUCTION
Achwa I (41MW)
Bukinda (6.5MW)
Busitema University Solar Power (4MW)
Kakaka (4.6MW)
Muyembe (6.9MW)
Muzizi (44MW)
Nyagak III (5.5MW)
Nyamagasani II (6MW
TOTAL 118.5
RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAM
Access to electricity is at the heart of socio-economic development. It impacts on a wide range of development indicators, including health, education, food security, gender equality, livelihoods and poverty reduction. Whoever grew up in a village remembers a life without electricity. Some villages are now connected to the national grid and have steady supply of power. More villages are to be connected over the next five years.
There was a time of intermittent power cuts or load shedding. People had become used to that and it became a way of life. Today, any slight failure in power supply upsets everyone and is considered a big issue. This confirms that there is a steady supply of electricity, which people are now used to. NRM knows that providing electricity to all Ugandans is about serving humanity.
Without electricity, the provision of modern public health services becomes a daunting task. With lights at night, all children can study under similar conditions. Many now have TVs, not only for entertainment, but also for learning more about the rest of the world. With electricity, the use of electrical appliances such as fridges is on the rise. Furthermore, appliances like fridges, salon equipment and cookers are being used by many Ugandans to generate incomes, which explains the need for a steady supply of electricity.
ELECTRIFYING DISTRICTS
By 1986, only 20 (about half) out of 39 district headquarters were connected to the national grid.
Today, only four (4) i.e.
Kaabong
Karenga
Kotido
Buvuma
Out of 146 districts and cities, only 4 districts are not yet connected. Work on taking power to Kaabong and Kotido is ongoing and will be completed in 2021.
The Government is also going to look for approximately Ush45 billion required to supply both Buvuma and Sigulu islands with electricity.
To increase rural electrification, NRM has constructed over 14,820km of Medium Voltage (MV) power lines and approximately 10,000km of Low Voltage (LV) power distribution lines. This has translated into the connecting of over 1,000,000 consumers onto the national grid.
According to the Uganda Bureau of Statistics Baseline Survey of 2019, access to electricity has improved from 20% (on grid) in 2015/16 (it was 7% in 1986) to 51% (on and off grid) in 2019/20.
The 51% comprises 24% access to the national grid and 27% access through offgrid (through mini-grids, solar home systems and others).
In addition, about 6,000km of MV power lines and 5,000km of LV power lines are under implementation with 1,500km of MV power lines and 2,000km of LV power lines under procurement.
ELECTRIFYING SUB-COUNTIES
In October 2019, NRM commenced on the Project for Bridging the Demand Supply Balance Gap through the Accelerated Rural Electrification Programme that is supplying electricity to sub-county headquarters.
Under the project, over 4,000km of MV networks and over 6,000km of LV networks shall be constructed to provide electricity to 620 unserved sub-county headquarters countrywide.
These include 558 sub-county headquarters, 52 town councils and 10 division headquarters. Construction started in October 2019 in 20 districts: Kumi, Kapchorwa, Namutumba, Isingiro, Kassanda, Kyegegwa, Kibaale, Omoro, Otuke, Madi-okolo, Arua, Adjumani, Kiboga, Kanungu, Bundibugyo, Agago, Buyende, Bukedea, Kole and Apac.
EASING CONNECTING POWER TO HOMES
In order to increase the consumption of electricity, NRM is making connections to homes easier and affordable.
Under this policy which started in 2018, the Government subsidizes the cost of electricity connection materials, enabling citizens who are ready for electricity consumption to benefit. Over 300,000 household connections are targeted annually.
GRID INTENSIFICATION
Alongside the grid extension projects, the Government is also implementing grid intensification and densification projects aimed at connecting areas with suppressed demand within the existing national grid footprint. These projects target the connection of underserved load centres and centres within a 2km footprint of the existing grid. This will be through transformer injections, expansion of the LV reticulation network and short expansions of the medium voltage network, mainly targeting highly populated areas such as municipalities, divisions and busy trading centres countrywide. NRM is also facilitating the evacuation of power from various small hydropower plants countrywide through the get-fit programme. Over 70% of these projects have been completed, with the remaining currently under construction and shall be due for completion by the end of 2020.
TRANSMISSION & CONNECTIONS
The following transmission projects were completed:
Kawanda-Masaka T-Line 220kV, 137km line.
Kawanda and Masaka substations.
Nkenda-Fort Portal 220kV line.
Fort Portal-Hoima line and associated substations.
Isimba- Bujagali Interconnection project 132kV, 41km line.
Bujagali-Tororo 220kV, 127km.
Mbarara – Mirama 220kV, 66km line.
Mbarara-Nkenda 132kV, 160km line.
132kV Kawanda-Kapeeka, 54km transmission line and 20MVA substation at Kapeeka.
Tororo – Opuyo – Lira 132kV, 260km transmission line.
Iganga 2x40MVA substation, Mukono 3x60MVA substation.
132kV Iganga T-off, 10km transmission line.
132kV Mukono T-off, 5km transmission line.
Additional transformation capacity on grid installed at Kawanda substation (40MVA), Kampala North (40MVA) and Lira (40MVA).
Queensway substation, construction of substations and transmission lines to four Industrial Parks is as follows: Iganga and Mukono substations were completed; Luzira substation is at 98%; Mukono Industrial Park, 132kV transmission line (5km) and Iganga industrial park, 132kV double circuit transmission line (12km) completed.
As of June 2020, the following transmission projects were at various stages of implementation:
Karuma-Kawanda 400kV 254km, Karuma-Lira 132kV 75km, and Karuma-Olwiyo 400kV 60km lines plus associated substations. Construction ongoing at 96% completion; and projected completion in November 2020.
Karuma 400/132kV Substation is at 58%
Kawanda 400/220kV substation is at 60%.
Lira Substation is at 50%.
Bujagali Substation is at 82%.
Tororo Substation is at 87%.
Mbarara Substation is at 98%.
132kV Mirama-Kabale transmission line, 80km — Procurement of contractor was completed. Works will be completed within two years.
Mirama Substation at 75%.
Mutundwe-Entebbe 132kV, 24km — Construction work commenced. To be completed by December 2020.
Opuyo substations upgrade — Construction work ongoing.
132kV Opuyo-Moroto transmission line, 168km and associated substations at Moroto and Opuyo — Work has started and will be completed by December 2020.
132kV Lira-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua transmission line, 293km and associated substations – Procurement of contractor was completed. Works will be completed within two years, by mid-2022.
400kV Masaka-Mbarara transmission line, 135km — Procurement of contractor is ongoing.
Gulu – Agago 132kV overhead transmission line and associated 132/33kV substations project — Procurement of contractor is at final stages. The works will be completed within two years of commencement.
132 kV Mbale-Bulambuli transmission line — technical feasibility studies were completed.
Procurement of the contractors to undertake construction works for the 132kV Lira–Gulu–Nebbi–Arua transmission line and associated substations was concluded in March 2020.
The project sites were handed over to the contractors in August 2020. Construction is expected to be completed by the end of 2022.
The line will not only connect West Nile to the national grid, but also provide power supply reliably to northern Uganda as follows:
Construction of 301km of 132kV Lira–Gulu–Nebbi–Arua transmission line. The line will have capacity to supply not less than 200MW.
A switchyard at Kole to enable the line connect to the national grid.
A substation in Gulu with the capacity to supply 80MVA.
A substation in Nebbi with the capacity to supply 40MVA. l
A substation in Arua with the capacity to supply 80MVA.
33kV short power lines connecting substations to the existing distribution network.
Construction of the 400kV Karuma–Olwiyo transmission line with a substation at Olwiyo nearing completion. This line is being constructed under the Karuma Hydropower Project.
The 132kV Lira–Gulu–Nebbi–Arua transmission line will connect to Olwiyo substation and, therefore, West Nile (Nebbi and Arua substations) will have a second option of getting power from Karuma through Olwiyo substation.
