Residents of Ndorwa West County in Kabale District have increasingly turned to solar power solutions due to the persistent unreliability of Umeme electricity, despite recent efforts to introduce electricity to the constituency.
In July of this year, Hon. Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, along with David Bahati, the State Minister for Trade, Industry, and Cooperatives, commissioned the Rural Electrification Project in the area.
This government-funded initiative, implemented by Giza Cable Industries, is intended to bring electricity to various sub-counties, including Ryakarimira, Kitumba, Kamuganguzi, Butanda, and Kahugye in Kabale.
However, the full integration of power into the mainline is yet to be realized. Gilbert Aringanyira, the Kabale district councilor representing Butanda Sub-county, notes that since the launch of power distribution, access in specific parishes, such as Namilyango, Kifurugutu, and Murambo in Butanda Sub-County, remains uncertain.
Despite electricity poles looming over residents’ homes, wiring is limited to a few government facilities, with Butanda Primary School notably left without the benefits of this initiative.
Aringanyira highlights that even among those who have received electricity; many face challenges in accessing it, leading residents to embrace solar power systems due to the extended downtime experienced with Umeme, the national power distributor.
Champion Baker Turyamureba, a district councilor representing Kahunge Sub-county, describes the electricity poles in the area as mere statues, emphasizing that the situation has left residents disheartened by the delayed access to electricity, despite the infrastructure being in place.
Gyaviira Wokulira, the UMEME Manager for Kabale Branch, deflects the issue to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, stating that UMEME’s role is to connect, not to extend electricity.
