UMEME office closed over unpaid sh6 million bill

Gulu, Uganda |  THE INDEPENDENT | Laroo Division authorities in Gulu City on Tuesday morning closed UMEME’s Office over failure to pay property tax amounting to 6 million shillings.

The premises located along Gulu Avenue was locked at around 8am by a team of enforcement officers led by Moses Abonga, the Laroo Division Chairman.  

According to Abonga, UMEME is supposed to pay a property tax of UGX 1 million annually but have defaulted the tax for six years now.

Abonga revealed that they have been delivering demand notes to the managers but they chose to keep quiet, something that forced them to close their offices to send a message to their headquarters in Kampala. 

Abonga said UMEME’s office is not the only one they have closed for failing pay property tax to the division. He disclosed that they have recently started moving around the division to demand payment from property owners for the tax so that the money raised is used in managing garbage and paying utilities of the division.

Frank Mudali, the Commercial Supervisor of UMEME in Gulu told URN in an interview that the act of Laroo Division of closing their office greatly affected their operation. He said they can no longer respond to emergencies since their main gate has been locked.

According to Mudali, they placed a request to the head office on January 28th to have the arrears cleared, but due to the long processes, the money has not yet been released to Laroo Division.

UMEME Limited is an electricity distribution company listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange and cross listed on the Nairobi Securities Exchange. The company operates a 20-year electricity distribution concession effective March 1st, 2005 awarded by the Uganda government.

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URN