The State Minister for minerals, Phiona Nyamutoro, has asked Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) to squarely address the vandalism of power lines to ensure a stable and reliable power supply for all Ugandans.

 UETCL spends on average over sh600 million (Six hundred million) per annum to repair vandalized towers on the existing lines across the country. Given the current rate of vandalism and the growing size of the transmission lines, these costs are expected to increase tremendously unless this vice is contained.

The minister had visited the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) as part of her ongoing induction tour of the electricity sector.

During the visit, she was briefed on UETCL's mandate, grid coverage, operations, and maintenance, as well as their grid development plan aligned with Vision 2040 and the Energy Policy 2023.

Nyamutoro commended UETCL for their efforts in keeping the country powered, acknowledging the critical role electricity plays in driving socio-economic development.

The Government of Uganda has in the past three years intensified investments in the electricity sector including its generation, transmission and distribution operations.

Despite these investments, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development continues to grapple with rampant cases of vandalism of power transmission and distribution infrastructure.

The vandals are deliberately sabotaging the electricity access agenda that Government embarked on to ensure electricity for all by 2030. These vandals compromise the reliability, continuity and stability of power supply that sometimes compromises National Security.