Darkness over Mbale as unknown people cut down electric poles

Mbale, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Mbale City and the neighboring areas woke up in darkness on Thursday morning following the cutting down of electric poles by unknown people.

The unknown people used power saw machine and cut down three poles in Bugema Nauyo within Mbale City blocking part of Mbale Tororo road.

This has paralysed transport on this road.   According to Umeme, the unkown people cut down the three electric poles early morning on Thursday between 4:00am and 5:00 am.

This forced Umeme to switch off the line for fear of electrocuting road users.   The affected line connects from Bugema sub station to the former Mbale municipality running through the old sub counties of Mbale district mainly in Bungokho North County. The line also supplies power to Sironko district and parts of Bukedea district.

Paul Ssempira, Manager Umeme Mbale told Uganda Radio Network that one of the staff at the weigh bridge near the site where the poles were cut called to inform them about the incident.

According to the manger, the act of cutting down poles in the area is not new as it has been happening over the years during seasons when Mbale town is engaged in an activity which requires uninterrupted power like elections. As such, he said the thugs probably wanted to disrupt the tallying of votes of Local Council elections which were held on Wednesday.

He said the cut line has affected over 10,000 customers from within the city and the neighbouring areas like Kachumbal in Bukedea, Budadir town council and Sironko town council in Sironko district and added that they have already informed Police about the incident which he said has already launched investigations to establish the motives behind the action of cutting electric poles.

He noted that Umeme is working tirelessly to restore power within the affected areas and that by 5:00PM in the evening they will have replaced the poles that have been cut down.

Efforts by our reporter to get a comment from Police were futile as the Elgon police Spokesperson Roger Taitika could not readily comment on the matter by press time.

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