Kalangala legislators grill power suppliers over high-power tariffs

Kalangala district legislators together with the district chairperson have grilled Kalangala Infrastructure Services Limited (KIS), an entity that supplies power, safe drinking water and ferry transport on Buggala island over high tariffs of power.

It has been brought to our attention by islanders on Buggala island that the cost of power is high compared to other areas that consume it on the mainland, said the legislators.

Legislators included Hon Hellen Nakimuli, the Kalangala Woman MP, Moses Kabuusu, the Kyamuswa Constituency MP, Julius Mukasa Opondo of Bujumba and Rajab Ssemakula the district chairperson.

The cost of units has been increasing quarter by quarter, domestic consumers now buy a unit at sh1,290.6 from sh 1,094.0 in the previous quarter and commercial consumers buy a unit at sh1,689.2 from sh1,407.0 in the previous quarter.

Richard Kiganda, a resident narrates that despite the need for power usage among islanders, its prices are high compared to the economic status of residents.

“Our appeal to KIS is to lower the tariffs of power to the level of other power suppliers outside Kalangala,” said Kiganda.

Opondo said that business owners are also suffering from an unstable power supply by the entity.

“We want to know what happened with KIS machines that make power unstable yet it's solar powered,” said Opondo.

“Since the Government introduced a marine cable that is under construction, we hope that very soon these challenges of high-power tariffs will be sorted,” added Opondo.

KIS has promised that the tariffs will be lowered since the cost of fuel is decreasing.

Nakimuli also appealed to KIS to extend their hand through social corporate responsibility to support some activities such as improving the hygiene of the Town Council landing sites that lack public toilets.

Kabuusu asked KIS to also extend their services to other islands of his constituency, mainly the ferry services and power to boost development.

“Initiate some routes, avail the ferries then ask the Government to fund when services are going on,” said Kabuusu.    

Power tariffs are determined by the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) and for Kalangala, prices are determined quarterly.