VANESSA A
Residents of Kyafora Parish in Rugarama North Subcounty, Ntungamo District, have raised concerns over persistent electricity shortages in the area, which they say are hindering development and daily life.
The challenge affects the entire subcounty, with locals reporting difficulties in accessing essential services. During the recent National Identity Registration exercise, many residents were unable to complete registration due to lack of electricity. Some attempted to use generators, but fuel costs ran out before everyone could be attended to, leaving many without IDs.
Speaking to our reporter, Happiness Arinaitwe, a Kyafora resident, said this has been an ongoing issue for years. “As a subcounty, we have never seen even a single electricity pole. During the National ID registration, residents had to travel to Rugarama Subcounty, incurring transport costs, yet many were still left unattended,” Arinaitwe explained.
He added that the darkness in the area has also contributed to increased theft, particularly around the Kyafora hot springs. “Some well-wishers installed lighting bulbs, but they go dim before midnight, leaving the area unsafe,” he said.
James Twinamastiko Karindi, another resident, echoed similar concerns. He noted that the lack of electricity has affected other development projects, including welding and grinding businesses, and has fueled idleness that leads to theft. “Our leaders have been promising electricity for years, yet we have not even seen a single pole installed,” Karindi said.
When contacted, Amanya Ivan Rwanyakyibare, Chairperson LC3 of Rugarama North Subcounty, confirmed awareness of the problem. He said the area’s Member of Parliament had promised that the electricity rollout process would begin before the elections, and some mapping has already been done. “We know government programs can be slow, but we are hopeful that in the second half of this financial year, the mapping will expand, and residents will finally access electricity services,” Rwanyakyibare said.
Residents remain optimistic that the government will act soon, hoping that access to electricity will boost development and enhance safety in their community.
