Nebbi businesses count loses as drought persists

Apr 26, 2017

The continued drought has adversely affected water levels at the river that the Nyagak power dam is not running at full capacity.

As the drought continues to bite in the northern part of the country, businesses in Nebbi town are counting losses as power supply continues to be unreliable.


Unlike most parts of Uganda, the West Nile districts of Nebbi, Zombo and Arua are not connected to the country's main power grid; rather, they depend on electricity generated from Nyagak River in Zombo district. The continued drought has adversely affected water levels at the river that the Nyagak power dam is not running at full capacity.


Derrick Omirambe sells drinking water, juice and charges phones at a kiosk near the taxi park in the town. The situation is costing him dearly.


"These last few months have been tough! There is no more business, when people bring their phones to me for charging, the power goes off before I have even connected them to the switch. Nobody buys my water anymore," he says.


Before West Nile Rural Electrification Company Ltd (WENRECo) started generating power at Nyagak, the company operated a 1.5 megawatts heavy fuel generator which supplied power to Arua, Nebbi and Paidha towns. This electricity supply though, proved unreliable as sometimes clients would go weeks without power, either due to mechanical issues with the generator, or the lack of fuel to run it.


Denis Komakech, who runs a similar business to Omirambe on Uringi road, says government should connect West Nile to the main power grid.


"We are suffering! Sometimes power goes off for more than 18 hours. How are we supposed to make a living? We should be connected to the main grid that has reliable electricity," he says.

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