By Spy Uganda
Uganda’s electricity distribution transition is facing a major test, with thousands of customers still waiting to be connected to the national grid despite government providing hundreds of billions of shillings to the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) since it took over from Umeme.
UEDCL has received about Shs477 billion in government funding since the Umeme concession ended in March 2025, but legislators say the investment has yet to translate into the level of service improvement Ugandans were promised.
Public Accounts Committee Chairperson Patrick Nsamba questioned why electricity consumers continue to experience delays in new connections and persistent power outages despite the substantial funding and infrastructure inherited from Umeme.
“Ugandans were promised big about the transition. Government said Umeme was expensive and it wanted to make bigger investments. Since the buyout, you have received several loans and also inherited infrastructure but Ugandans are not seeing the progress,” Nsamba said.
The concerns come barely a year and a half after UEDCL assumed responsibility for electricity distribution, with government promising increased investment and improved service delivery following Umeme’s exit.
One of the biggest concerns raised before the committee was the number of customers who paid for electricity connections under Umeme but were never connected before the concession ended.
Nsamba demanded assurances that these customers would not be left behind during the transition.
“Prior to the closure of Umeme, many Ugandans paid their money and Umeme was supposed to connect them. They have never been connected up to today. The public needs to get assurances that they will be worked on,” he said.
The issue is not limited to individual customers.
Legislators from different parts of the country reported communities that have waited for transformers and new connections for years.
Mubende District Woman Representative Hope Nakazibwe said some areas in the district had gone for a long period without receiving new electricity connections.
Mukono County North MP Abdallah Kiwanuka also questioned why villages that had requested transformers several years ago were still waiting.
“There are several villages in my constituency where we have asked for transformers for over three years. What is the priority getting them, is it on a first come, first served basis?” Kiwanuka asked.
UEDCL Acting Managing Director Joselynne Rwakakooko said the company has been constrained by shortages of electricity meters, limiting its ability to connect customers who have already applied for service.
She said the company has made close to 77,000 new connections this year using the materials available.
However, the situation is beginning to improve, with more than 100,000 meters received by July, according to Rwakakooko.
“As meters come in, we are going to go back for all the customers who are ready to connect,” she said.
UEDCL is also turning to local suppliers to increase the availability of meters and reduce supply disruptions.
The company believes the additional meters will help it clear the backlog and accelerate connections in areas where customers have already completed the application process.
The funding issue has become central to the debate.
Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development Irene Batebe told MPs that government has provided UEDCL with funding equivalent to about US$79 million (Shs477 billion) since the Umeme buyout.
However, much of the money has been tied up in procurement processes for transformers, substations and other critical equipment.
Batebe said government had anticipated procurement delays as one of the major risks facing UEDCL following the transition.
“We worked with PPDA and they certified the company to apply shorter procurement cycles so that we are able to procure this equipment outside the typical long PPDA process,” she said.
The government is therefore attempting to shorten procurement timelines as UEDCL seeks to expand its capacity and maintain the infrastructure inherited from Umeme.
Rwakakooko also cautioned that taking over Umeme’s infrastructure did not automatically guarantee improved performance.
She said substations and other electricity infrastructure require continuous maintenance and additional investment as demand grows.
“Infrastructure capability is not static,” Rwakakooko said, explaining that inherited infrastructure can deteriorate if its capacity is not expanded and maintenance is not carried out on time.
She said investment in the network over the past three years had not been sufficient to maintain all the infrastructure at the required level.
Batebe confirmed that Umeme transferred the entire electricity distribution network and associated assets to UEDCL.
She also said 96 per cent of former Umeme employees were absorbed into UEDCL, providing continuity in technical and operational expertise.
The transition has nevertheless involved efforts to integrate the different organisational cultures, which Batebe said had taken time.
The transition has also raised questions about how customers communicate with UEDCL when they experience service problems.
Wakiso District Woman Representative Betty Naluyima questioned whether UEDCL has sufficient staff to handle customer complaints and provide timely responses.
She cited the WhatsApp-based communication system that was previously used by Umeme customers to report problems and seek assistance.
“On customer feedback, we used to have a WhatsApp channel where responses were timely but now, the public does not know where to report,” Naluyima said.
The concerns highlight an issue beyond infrastructure: whether UEDCL can build a customer service system capable of handling the millions of Ugandans who depend on the national electricity network.
For now, the company says the immediate focus is clearing the connection backlog, expanding and maintaining the inherited network and securing adequate equipment.
The arrival of more than 100,000 meters could provide an important boost.
But with billions already committed and customers still waiting for power, the pressure is now on UEDCL to demonstrate that the post-Umeme era will deliver the improved electricity service Ugandans were promised.
