West Nile leaders irked by power connection delay

Mar 29, 2023

“We cannot sit down and see our critical share of the national cake be delayed,” former Ayivu county MP Bernard Atiku, who witnessed and signed the $100 million loan from the World Bank in the 10th Parliament for connecting power to the region, said.

Bernard Atiku former MP for Ayivu county said the need for power in West Nile is urgent for industrial development. Photos by Robert Ariaka

Robert Ariaka
Journalist @New Vision

West Nile leaders are unhappy over what they have called the continuous extension of the deadline for the region to connect to the national hydroelectric power grid.

Addressing the media in Arua city on Wednesday, the leaders said they were irked by another extension communicated by energy minister Ruth Nankabirwa. 

The first commitment was to ensure that the Government connected the region to the national grid in September 2022 which was extended to March 30, 2023.

This has again been extended to June this year, according to a communication Nankabirwa made to the leaders during the commissioning of the Olwiyo power substation.

L- R; Moses Odims, Bernard Atiku Former Ayivu county MP, Jackson Lee Buti Atima Arua central division MP, Williams Anyama Moyo LC5 chairperson and Twaib Feni executive director NGO network, during the press briefing on power connection to West Nile Wednesday.

L- R; Moses Odims, Bernard Atiku Former Ayivu county MP, Jackson Lee Buti Atima Arua central division MP, Williams Anyama Moyo LC5 chairperson and Twaib Feni executive director NGO network, during the press briefing on power connection to West Nile Wednesday.

Arua central division Member of Parliament Jackson Lee Buti Atima, who is also the region's government whip, said these continuous political pronouncements are not good for West Nile residents.

According to Atima, the energy ministry technical officers should provide better technical information to the minister before issuing a deadline that the Government fails to fulfil.

This comes in the wake of numerous demands West Nile residents have identified to table before President Yoweri Museveni, who is expected to visit the region on April 11-13, 2023, over wealth creation issues with a focus on the Parish Development Model programme.

Atima said the next deadline pronouncement by the minister to June is not holding water based on the technical glitches on the ground where the two power substations in Nebbi and Arua are incomplete.

The current progress of works at Nebbi substation stands at 83% and the works at the Arua substation are at 87%. 

Atima cited the challenge of the Government disagreeing with the people who have been affected by the power line connection in Olwiyo where 37 towers still need to be installed to connect power to West Nile.

The legislator also wants the energy ministry to come and rectify the infrastructural upgrade for the electric lines and connections to the region for effective power usage by the people.

Former Ayivu county MP Bernard Atiku, who witnessed and signed the $100 million loan from the World Bank in the 10th Parliament for connecting power to the region, said 400kv power commissioned at Olwiyo will only be beneficial to West Nile once the infrastructure lines for evacuating power are complete.

He added that the removal of the capacity-building component delayed the progress of the connectivity of West Nile to the national grid. 

“We cannot sit down and see our critical share of the national cake be delayed,” Atiku said.

He added that once West Nile has stable industrial power, it will become easy for the youth to get employment in any industry established by investors.

The former legislator asked the Government to clarify the delay to compensate the project-affected people which he said is delaying the installation of the towers to evacuate power to West Nile.

“If the Government cannot afford to pay the affected persons, we the people of west Nile who need the power can mobilise the funds and pay the affected persons,” Atiku said.

Moyo LC5 chairperson Williams Anyama, who is also the head of the West Nile Development Association, said wealth creation can only be achieved through a stable power supply.

He asked the Government to uphold its commitment to its promises. Anyama wants another substation constructed in Madi sub-region to power the three districts of Obongi, Moyo and Adjumani.

Twaib Feni, the executive director NGO network, said energy is vital for good health. 

"If power is not there, we shall continue to lose people in hospitals and lower health facilities," he said.

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