Staff Reporter
Kabale District Police Commander, SP Joseph Bakaleke, has cautioned residents against joining what he refers to as a “peace-bleaching mobilization tool” proposed by activists. This warning comes in response to a social media campaign for a peaceful demonstration titled “March to Kabale UMEME Offices,” planned for August 10, 2024. The demonstration is being organized by concerned locals to address frequent power outages in the area.
Protestors are accusing UMEME of persistent power disruptions, which have severely impacted local services. Kabale Deputy Speaker Ronald Ian Mugisha has highlighted that these outages, especially during the night, are causing insecurity, financial losses for businesses, accidents, and interruptions to online lectures and water supply in Kabale Municipality. He expressed frustration over the situation, noting that while Uganda exports electricity to Rwanda, Kabale continues to suffer. Mugisha urged UMEME to resolve the issue and provide a transparent explanation before the scheduled protest.
Resident Naboth Isaac Niwagaba voiced his disappointment with UMEME, arguing that the current load shedding is not just inconvenient but unacceptable. Niwagaba stressed that residents are paying for their electricity and are not seeking free service. He called for UMEME to initiate a dialogue to clarify the reasons behind the poor service.
Aggrey Mastiko from the Central Division of Kabale Municipality questioned the prospects for industrial development in Kabale without reliable electricity. He expressed doubts about the feasibility of running industries under the current conditions and urged government intervention. Mastiko called for a thorough review of UMEME’s operations to support industrial growth in the region.
In contrast, DPC Bakaleke urged the Kabale community to refrain from supporting the mobilization effort, labeling it as an initiative by those opposed to a peaceful Kabale. While acknowledging the residents’ difficulties, he asked for patience and assured them that the government is addressing the power issues.
Attempts by our reporter to get a comment from the UMEME Kabale branch manager were unsuccessful. Earlier this year, UMEME Public Relations Officer Peter Kaujju attributed the outages to trees falling on UMEME poles as a result of residents’ activities.
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