West Nile residents complain of prolonged power shortage

By Bosco King

The West Nile is facing power shortages following the breakdown of the second turbine at Nyagiki power station in November 2013.

Arua, Zombo and Nebbi districts are now receiving 1.75Meggawatts (MW) of power from only one turbine, yet the peak load is 2MW, creating the need for loadshading in the region.

However, Suresh Ballal, the general manager of WENRECO, the power distribution company in the region, said power interruptions are due to a breakdown of transformers and weak power lines that formerly belonged to the Uganda Electricity Board.

Repair works for the units that have broken down is taking abnormally long and the consumers are getting increasingly frustrated.

Power extensions to the districts of Maracha, Koboko, and Yumbe were commissioned in December last year by President Yoweri Museveni.

Arua resident district commissioner Ibrahim Abiriga said NRM could lose votes in the area in 2016 because residents are unhappy with the unreliable power supply.

Residents get power for only four hours per day, which disrupts their businesses.

They also complain that faults take long to be repaired and that they are not informed about operational changes such as the introduction of the prepaid system, which seems to be more expensive than the old postpaid system.3