W. Bank Okays AES Bujagali Project

By John Eremu THE World Bank has approved the Bujagali power project paving the way for AES Nile Power to begin work on the 250 mega watt plant early next year. The bank board meeting in Washington DC approved the US$500m project yesterday, AES- Nile Power spokesperson Sarah Birungi said. Birungi told The New Vision that the company will today hold a ceremony at Sheraton Kampala Hotel to celebrate the approval. She said details of the approval would be given to journalists at the function. The approval gives green light to the World Bank affiliates, the International Development Association (IDA) and the International Finance Corporation, to extend credit to AES for the construction of the power plant that has been shrouded in controversies since its inception in 1994. However, two environmental activists yesterday stormed The New Vision offices to protest the approval. “This project is a political project which has ignored reason and social concerns,” said Frank Muramuzi, the president of the National Association of Professional Environmentalists. He was accompanied by Oweyegha Afunaduula of Makerere University. The Bujagali power plant, expected to be completed by the end of 2004, will add 250mw of electricity to the current production which stands at about 240mw from Nalubale and Kiira power plants.