Generators to fall silent as Kibaale joins main grid
Mar 01, 2007
WHEN President Yoweri Museveni launched the construction of a power line on February 12, 2006, while on his campaign leg in Kibaale district, residents thought it was a campaign gimmick to woo more people to his camp.
By Ronald Kalyango
WHEN President Yoweri Museveni launched the construction of a power line on February 12, 2006, while on his campaign leg in Kibaale district, residents thought it was a campaign gimmick to woo more people to his camp.
Today, the first phase of the construction has been completed and residents are waiting for the President to switch them onto the main grid.
Fifteen years since Kibaale broke away from Hoima district, it has relied on renewable energy resources like wood, biomas, solar, generators, candles and paraffin as the main sources of energy.
“This is our New Year gift and everybody is enthusiastic about receiving power. With electricity, residents will invest in a number of income-generating activities,†said Peter Amooti, the town clerk.
The project, implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, is almost complete after the successful pre-testing in December last year.
With sh14.1b, Spencon Services had to extend power from Kakumiro after Mubende district, to Kibaale district.
The first phase that has covered Karuguza, Kikonde, Kirigwajjo SS, Bujuni Hill and Kibaale town, was estimated to cost sh4.5b, while the second phase, that took off from Kibaale, feeding several trading centres up to Kagadi town, was estimated to cost sh9.6b.
“The project was split into three phases. Phase one covers Kibaale to Kagadi, phase two, runs from Kagadivia Muhororo to Muzizi, while phase three stretches from Kagadi via Mabale to Kahuniro,†explained Engineer Godfrey Werikhe, REA’s senior construction engineer. During a recent visit to Kibaale, Barbara Musoke, the agency’s outreach and public relations manager, said the contractor could not complete the project within six months because the materials had to be imported.
“Since most of the materials used had to be imported, six months was just an oversight. It has taken us a year and we anticipate that the whole district will be covered by the end of 2007.â€
Musoke said before getting an operating licence from the Electricity Regulatory Authority, they will have to sign a Power Purchase Agreement with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company and a concessional agreement with Ferdsult, a company which will own the line.
“When this is done, people will start extending power to their houses.â€
The business community in the area, whose main source of energy has been generators, are excited about the electricity.
Jennifer Nakawuma, a resident of Kakuruguuza village, is one of the promising businesswomen in Kibaale town. She runs a stationery shop.
She says her day begins at 7:00am and ends at 6:00pm.
“We are forced to close at 6:00pm because we do not use the generator for lights. We only use it to run computers and the photocopiers.â€
To cover the costs of fuel, they charge sh1,500 per typed page, and sh200 per photocopy. However, Nakawuma is optimistic that when they get power, the charges will reduce to sh1,000 and sh100, respectively.
Emely Kugonza, the executive director of EMSCO Development Foundation and the owner of Star Light Hotel, says electricity will save him the 50 litres of diesel he spends on operating his businesses daily.
“I think I will be the first person to extend power to all my businesses. I spend a lot of money on diesel,†he lamented.
Fuel stations are not spared either. Although one may think they are in business for selling diesel to run generators, the stations also need power to run their machines, which are currently ran manually.
John Murumbya, the manager of Petrocity in Kagadi, says he spends 100 litres of diesel to run five generators.
“We use generators from 5:00am to 11:00pm. After that, the pumps are operated manually,†he explained to the visiting team from the Rural Electrification Agency, during a fact finding mission in the district.
Moses Mukulu, a welder in Kagadi Market Street, says he spends between sh15,000 and sh20,000 everyday for metal fabrications.
“Electricity will ease my work. Although I use a generator, there are some metals that cannot be fabricated.â€
Government-owned hospitals in the district also use generators and solar panels as their major source of energy.
District officials say electricity will save them from the noise, pollution and the costs of diesel.
“I thank the Government for extending power to our district. Although it’s not yet switched on, the infrastructure in place indicates that power will soon be here,†explained John Katotoroma, the acting chief administrative officer.
He said lack of power had stopped many investors from tapping resources in the district.
Katotoroma, however, warns residents to use the power for value addition and setting up businesses to increase their incomes.
The LC5 chairman, George William Namyaka, said extending power to Kibaale is value for money because the district has a number of investment opportunities in agriculture and trade, which would be boosted by power.
“We grow a lot of rice and maize, but they are transported to Mubende and Hoima for value addition due to lack of power.â€
About 500 generators are used by businessmen to run different businesses, including salons, video halls and hotels.
WHEN President Yoweri Museveni launched the construction of a power line on February 12, 2006, while on his campaign leg in Kibaale district, residents thought it was a campaign gimmick to woo more people to his camp.
Today, the first phase of the construction has been completed and residents are waiting for the President to switch them onto the main grid.
Fifteen years since Kibaale broke away from Hoima district, it has relied on renewable energy resources like wood, biomas, solar, generators, candles and paraffin as the main sources of energy.
“This is our New Year gift and everybody is enthusiastic about receiving power. With electricity, residents will invest in a number of income-generating activities,†said Peter Amooti, the town clerk.
The project, implemented by the Rural Electrification Agency (REA) of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, is almost complete after the successful pre-testing in December last year.
With sh14.1b, Spencon Services had to extend power from Kakumiro after Mubende district, to Kibaale district.
The first phase that has covered Karuguza, Kikonde, Kirigwajjo SS, Bujuni Hill and Kibaale town, was estimated to cost sh4.5b, while the second phase, that took off from Kibaale, feeding several trading centres up to Kagadi town, was estimated to cost sh9.6b.
“The project was split into three phases. Phase one covers Kibaale to Kagadi, phase two, runs from Kagadivia Muhororo to Muzizi, while phase three stretches from Kagadi via Mabale to Kahuniro,†explained Engineer Godfrey Werikhe, REA’s senior construction engineer. During a recent visit to Kibaale, Barbara Musoke, the agency’s outreach and public relations manager, said the contractor could not complete the project within six months because the materials had to be imported.
“Since most of the materials used had to be imported, six months was just an oversight. It has taken us a year and we anticipate that the whole district will be covered by the end of 2007.â€
Musoke said before getting an operating licence from the Electricity Regulatory Authority, they will have to sign a Power Purchase Agreement with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company and a concessional agreement with Ferdsult, a company which will own the line.
“When this is done, people will start extending power to their houses.â€
The business community in the area, whose main source of energy has been generators, are excited about the electricity.
Jennifer Nakawuma, a resident of Kakuruguuza village, is one of the promising businesswomen in Kibaale town. She runs a stationery shop.
She says her day begins at 7:00am and ends at 6:00pm.
“We are forced to close at 6:00pm because we do not use the generator for lights. We only use it to run computers and the photocopiers.â€
To cover the costs of fuel, they charge sh1,500 per typed page, and sh200 per photocopy. However, Nakawuma is optimistic that when they get power, the charges will reduce to sh1,000 and sh100, respectively.
Emely Kugonza, the executive director of EMSCO Development Foundation and the owner of Star Light Hotel, says electricity will save him the 50 litres of diesel he spends on operating his businesses daily.
“I think I will be the first person to extend power to all my businesses. I spend a lot of money on diesel,†he lamented.
Fuel stations are not spared either. Although one may think they are in business for selling diesel to run generators, the stations also need power to run their machines, which are currently ran manually.
John Murumbya, the manager of Petrocity in Kagadi, says he spends 100 litres of diesel to run five generators.
“We use generators from 5:00am to 11:00pm. After that, the pumps are operated manually,†he explained to the visiting team from the Rural Electrification Agency, during a fact finding mission in the district.
Moses Mukulu, a welder in Kagadi Market Street, says he spends between sh15,000 and sh20,000 everyday for metal fabrications.
“Electricity will ease my work. Although I use a generator, there are some metals that cannot be fabricated.â€
Government-owned hospitals in the district also use generators and solar panels as their major source of energy.
District officials say electricity will save them from the noise, pollution and the costs of diesel.
“I thank the Government for extending power to our district. Although it’s not yet switched on, the infrastructure in place indicates that power will soon be here,†explained John Katotoroma, the acting chief administrative officer.
He said lack of power had stopped many investors from tapping resources in the district.
Katotoroma, however, warns residents to use the power for value addition and setting up businesses to increase their incomes.
The LC5 chairman, George William Namyaka, said extending power to Kibaale is value for money because the district has a number of investment opportunities in agriculture and trade, which would be boosted by power.
“We grow a lot of rice and maize, but they are transported to Mubende and Hoima for value addition due to lack of power.â€
About 500 generators are used by businessmen to run different businesses, including salons, video halls and hotels.