Senior Reporter
UMEME officials faced intense scrutiny from stakeholders in Kabale District today regarding the inconsistent power supply in the area.
The meeting, held at the Kabale Regional Referral Hospital intern hostels hall and chaired by Kabale Resident District Commissioner Godfrey Nyakahuma, witnessed strong criticisms from key figures such as Engineer Ivan Mbabazi Batuma, Chairman of the Kigezi Tourism Cluster, and Nicholas Byengoma, proprietor of Arcadia Cottages in Bunyonyi.
Batuma and Byengoma accused UMEME officials of causing significant disruptions to the power supply, leading businesses to rely on generators and incurring extra costs for fuel. They underscored the adverse impact on the district’s economic development, asserting that the unreliable power supply hampers various enterprises.
Dr. Gilbert Arinaitwe Maateka, Kabale District Health Officer, highlighted how power issues have affected health facilities, causing a lack of essential equipment like fridges for storing blood. He revealed that Kabale Regional Referral Hospital is facing an oxygen shortage, rendering the oxygen plant non-operational.
Dr. Esther Rutaremwa, Medical Superintendent for Rugarama Hospital, expressed frustration over power outages affecting critical medical equipment, including the X-ray machine. She emphasized the serious risks to patients, particularly infants, with potential irreversible brain damage and an increase in infant deaths.
In response, Paul Ssempira, UMEME’s Head of Operations for western Uganda, attributed the erratic power supply to trees encroaching on power lines, stating that 64 percent of outages were caused by transient faults within the main power lines. However, stakeholders remained unconvinced and raised concerns about UMEME’s negligence in customer care. They proposed a meeting between UMEME and the Ministry of Energy to find a lasting solution to the power outages.
RDC Nyakauhuma expressed concerns about potential protests in the district due to erratic power supply, emphasizing the possibility of security challenges arising from investor protests. He threatened decisive action if UMEME does not comply with resolving the power issues.
