The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Parliamentary Committee on government assurances has faulted the government over failure to fulfill pledges on extension and distribution of electricity across the country.
According to the committee report authored by committee chairperson Kaps Hassan Fungaroo, despite the Rural Electrification Agency’s (REA) attempt to fulfil government’s commitment of extending electricity to some rural areas through construction of medium and low voltage networks, access to electricity in rural areas still stands at 10%.
Fungaroo says in the report that several power lines constructed have left out schools, health facilities, trading centres and sub-county headquarters among others.
According to the committee, more than half of the Energy Sector Government Assurances considered by the Committee had not been implemented. Out of 38 energy sector assurances in 22 districts, only four were fulfilled, two in Kitgum, one in Otuke and Kole, 10 were partially fulfilled, while up to 24 of them were classified as broken and not fulfilled.
In several cases, areas deemed critical were not connected to electricity for unexplained reasons.
In Arua district, for instance, power was extended from the Nyagak hydropower Dam, but important institutions like Anyiribu Sub-county headquarters and Anyiribu Health Centre were left out.
Kassanda District was another area affected and although there was a pledge in 2011 to extend electricity from Kassanda Town to Kikandwa town, it was established that electricity had only been extended from Kassanda town Council to Bukuya, leaving out Kikandwa, Nakagaga and Kigisu.
Other districts affected are Mityana, Nakaseke, Iganga, Kamuli, Kaliro, Buyende, and Busia, with some of these Assurances remaining outstanding for more than 15 years.
The committee recommends that Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to present a detailed report to Parliament explaining the poor performance of loans received by Parliament for the implementation of the rural electrification project across the country.
They also want the office of the Auditor General to carry out a special audit on the performance and use of the USD 620 million loan facilities approved by Parliament between 2011 and 2016.
The committee also observed that the assurance to construct and commission a 600MW Karuma Hydropower Dam within 60 months (By December 2018) was not met, and classified it as partially fulfilled.
“Lira line had not fully started by the time of the Committee oversight visit. Very slow progress was also observed on the on-going construction of the double circuit Karuma – Kawanda transmission line.” The report notes.
The committee also said in 2006 Government assured the people of Kabale district that the Mini Power Station Maziba Mini Hydropower station commissioned in 1963 would be rehabilitated and was expected to be operational by 2011, but to date, nothing has been done.
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