UEGCL to turn Jinja premises into a training facility

By Billy Rwothungeyo

The Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) is planning to turn their facilities in Jinja into a training centre.

Recently, UEDCL moved its offices from Jinja to rent at the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) towers in Nakasero.

Asked why the board had taken the decision, Dr. Stephen Robert Isabalija, the new board chair of UEGCL said the move is a necessity at the very core of the operations of the company.

“This country badly needs a skills centre. Currently, when we need to train our staff, they fly abroad. Now we are going to have many large and mini-dams, where shall we get the skill set from if we do not have such a centre?” he said.

UEGCL came under pressure recently in the media when it emerged that they had shifted from their home since its inception in 2001 to new premises in Kampala.

Speaking after a handover ceremony of the board recently, Isabalija justified to decision for the shift.

“Most of these skills we are getting now only come from China. We do not have enough technicians in this country. Why can’t have our owned skilled labour force so that more Ugandans take up such opportunities,” he said.

Isabalija said blamed the skills gap on an education system that does not put adequate emphasis on vocational training.