Why Nabbanja blocked Nankabirwa-sanctioned sacking of UEDCL top managers
In her letter dated December 3, 2025, Nabbanja instead directs Nankabirwa to support the current UEDCL team, 'stabilise the network which I am told was left in a sorry operational state by UMEME.
Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja also blocked attempts by Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa to bring on board private players to manage Uganda’s electricity, (Filephoto)
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Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has halted the energy minister-sanctioned sacking of Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (UEDCL)'s senior management team (SMT).
Nabbanja also blocked attempts by Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa to bring on board private players to manage Uganda’s electricity, saying the decision must first be discussed by the whole government in Cabinet with adequate guidance from President Yoweri Museveni after this heightened political season.
In her letter dated December 3, 2025, Nabbanja instead directs Nankabirwa to support the current UEDCL team, 'stabilise the network which I am told was left in a sorry operational state by UMEME.
“I have been informed that you directed the UEDCL board to review and, thereafter, cause massive terminations of the UEDCL Senior Management Team (SMT), following an ERA confidential performance review report covering the last six months following the takeover of UMEME service".
Nabbanja says the minister’s instructions to the board raised the following concerns: The probable unintended consequences of such unco-ordinated and massive termination at this critical time; With lessons learnt from UMEME, your proposed reintroduction of private power suppliers in the form of joint ventures needs to be well structured, studied and discussed by the whole government in Cabinet.
“I am informed that, the recent transition from UMEME to UEDCL pooled together up to 2,712 permanent and 1,760 temporary staff, who are now undergoing training and getting support and supervision under the UEDCL SMT. Your proposed massive termination of the SMT will significantly cause unnecessary destabilisation in the general UEDCL workforce, increase power outages and adversely affect the Industrial sector in addition to other programs and Government image,” she says.
Nabbanja adds, “We need to make all efforts to ensure a stable power supply to the industries and Ugandans at large since I am informed that most of the procured network materials are now in transit. Support your SMT to complete the massive connections and complete the ongoing network upgrades, so that a steady power supply is assured.”
She then directed the minister to suspend all plans that are aimed at reintroducing private partnership/Joint Ventures in the power distribution sector until the Rationalisation of Agencies and Public Expenditure policy (RAPEX) is concluded.
"Wait until the end of this election period for further guidance from Cabinet and H.E the President on this matter. In the meantime, please furnish me with a copy of the ERA confidential performance review report that you have relied on," she writes.
“The board is instructed to halt all the processes that it is undertaking, or it intends to undertake in connection with this matter. In the meantime, support the current UEDCL SMT to stabilise the network, which I am told was left in a sorry operational state by UMEME. By copy of this letter, the UEDCL Board Chairperson and members should take note of my directives,” Nabbanja writes.
New Vision Online has learnt that the minister’s letter had left most of the SMT team and UEDCL panicking, and sources said UEDCL Secretary Easther Mulyagonja submitted her resignation last month.