The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Soroti, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Local leaders in Soroti have raised concern over the capacity and significance of Soroti Solar Plant to the region. Soroti Solar Plant was switched on in December 12th, 2016.
The plant was built at US$19 Million approximately UGX 68 Billion to supplement hydro power supply in the region. The Solar Plant with a capacity of 10 Megawatt was connected to the national grid through Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited.
The plant, which sits on 33-acre piece of land, has its power evacuated via Opuyo substation. During the commissioning, it was estimated that 40,000 homes and institution near the plant could be powered, thereby minimizing transmission losses.
The power station, which consists of 32,380 photovoltaic panels, was Uganda’s first grid- connected, privately funded solar power plant in Sub Saharan Africa, outside of South Africa. However, local leaders in Soroti are questioning its significance following continuous power outages in the region.
Paul Omer, the Soroti Mayor says he has not seen any significance of the solar plant sitting in Soroti.
He notes that the area has continued to suffer power outages including key government institutions like Soroti Regional Referral Hospital, which he observes should have been given priority.
At Opuya Primary School, one of the nearest institutions to the plant, only solar wires connecting to the substation pass over the roof of classrooms as the school continues to operate in darkness.
Stella Martha Ocakara, the Head Teacher Opuya Primary School says that even the pledge of the solar management plant to construct for them six staff houses hasn’t been realized.
She told URN that several attempts to follow up on the pledges haven’t yielded any fruits. Edward Esegu, the LC 3 Chairperson Soroti Sub County says the community is furious over unfulfilled pledges by the solar plant management.
He explains that after taking long to convince people to embrace the facility, his people have remained in darkness. He wants the solar plant management to extend and distribute power to neighboring communities including fulfillment of other pledges.
Helen Aguti, a neighbor to the solar plant in Opuyo says she doesn’t know whether the solar plant provides light to residences. “When they came here, we were told that our homes would be connected and that we would live like people in town with power, full time.
But life has remained the same. All we benefited from that plant is compensation for our land and a borehole drilled in the village by Access Solar Uganda”, she said. Willy Bisanga, the Soroti Municipality NRM chairperson, says the solar plant serves national interests not Soroti or Teso sub region only.
The Operations and Maintenance Engineer of the plant, Sedrick Kayiwa restricted our reporter from accessing the facility on grounds that there was some breakdown on the solar system. He, however, noted that issues of power supply are the responsibility of the distributor.
“Ours is generation of power but its distribution to whoever wants is the responsibility of UMEME. We have power supply here throughout but maybe due to some technical problems, the distributor is unable to meet the demands of the clients”, he said.
Kayima declined to comment on the pledges by management as he claimed that he was only one-year-old at the solar power plant in Soroti. Phillip Karumuna, the Spokesman of the solar plant declined to comment when contacted by URN.
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