Editor
Residents in Kabale Municipality are protesting against the inconsistent and insufficient power supply, which they argue is causing significant business losses. Naris Tumwesigye from Southern Division and Aggrey Mastiko from Central Division in Kabale Municipality express their frustrations, pointing out a recurring pattern of power outages over the past four months. They highlight how these outages negatively impact businesses that rely on electricity, leading to financial setbacks.
Tumwesigye and Mastiko also express concerns about the high costs of using generators as an alternative power source, exacerbated by the fluctuating power supply that has resulted in damage to electric appliances such as televisions and machinery. They further raise the alarm about increased security risks during power outages, with criminals taking advantage of the darkness to target residents.
Ibrahim Saiga, the Kigezi Region Police Commander, emphasizes how the unreliable power supply hampers the effective functioning of CCTV cameras installed in Kabale Municipality, worsening security challenges.
Mastiko questions Kabale’s potential for industrialization in the absence of a stable electricity supply, casting doubt on the feasibility of running industries under such conditions. He stresses the need for government intervention to address the situation, calling for a review of UMEME’s operations in the area to promote industrial growth.
In response, Peter Kaujju, the UMEME Public Relations Officer, attributes the power outages to trees falling on UMEME poles due to residents’ activities. He acknowledges the collaboration with Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited to establish a substation in the region aimed at improving power supply reliability.
