Rural Electrification: Are there any achievements?
Dec 08, 2010
MOSES Senono, a resident of Busaana sub-county in Kayunga district has a kiosk in Busaana trading centre. A few minutes to 8:00pm, the trading centre is dead quiet.
By Ronald Kalyango
MOSES Senono, a resident of Busaana sub-county in Kayunga district has a kiosk in Busaana trading centre. A few minutes to 8:00pm, the trading centre is dead quiet.
Senono can hardly afford buying enough petrol to run his generator for the work station and light bulbs which is the only source of light in his home at night.
Senono’s family is among millions of rural families that rush to accomplish all their daily chores before it gets dark.
They simply cannot afford paying for artificial light. Just only seven percent of the households in Uganda’s rural areas have access to electricity.
In these remote areas, solar energy and generators are a dream that villagers think can never come to reality.
To several rural Ugandans buying kerosene when there is wide spread poverty is impossible. A litre of kerosene goes for about sh2,300 at most fuel stations.
However as some people think of abandoning the main grid, government is committed to its promises of extending power to rural areas.
In 2001, Rural Electrification Agency had a strategic power plan of increasing rural electrification coverage from 1% to 10% by 2012. Its new target, however, is 20% by 2015.
According to the Indicative Rural Electrification Master Plan (IREMP) of January 2009, it is projected that 93% electrification rate of the identified 513,000 potential connections will be achieved in the 10th year of its implementation.
The plan indicates that three regions would achieve full and near-full saturation while West Nile is projected to achieve a lower rate due to the cost of local hydro facilities.
In the north, 112,940 connections will be made, 21,544 connections in north east, 131,445 in eastern, 104,257 in central, 93,405 in western and 49,750 in West Nile regions.
At the time of its design, it was only Kotido and Kaabong district headquarters that were not electrified.
The IREMP also targets 350,000 grid connections and a further 150,000 off-grid connections for the first period.
“We are moving in the right direction. Today, rural electrification stands at 7% but measures have been put in place to accelerate it further to 20% by 2015,†says Dr. Patricia Litho, REA’s spokesperson.
She listed some of the measures like establishment of the energy and rural electrification funds to increase the generation capacity and expansion of the national grid.
She says during the process of extending power to rural areas, their priorities are the district headquarters and agro-processing centres like factories.
They also extend power to health facilities, educational institutions, water supply and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres.
The $3.6m power grid extension to Bundibugyo district is among the few power projects which have been completed since REA was launched 10 years ago.
Shafiq Masud, the owner of ‘man’s family stationery’ in Bundibugyo district, said the power line extended to the district will help reduce business costs.
For the last five years, he has been spending between sh2,700 to sh3,000 on a litre of petrol for his generator.
Apart from Bundibugyo, Litho says to date over 206 projects from 24 rural districts have been implemented either directly by REA, Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd and UMEME.
She said REA has so far implemented 20 projects, 76 have been implemented through UEDCL and 110 schemes by UMEME.
Litho listed some of the completed projects as Rugombe-Kyenjojo-Katooke-Nyantungo, Namutere-Namayemba, Koner Kilak-Pader-Patongo and Kalongo-Adilag-Abim, Nyakagyeme-Kambuga-Kihiihi-Kanungu with T-offs to Kayonza and Butogota.
Another grid extension from Kanungu-Rugyeyo resulted into extension of power Rugyeyo tea factory in Kanungu district.
The government has also extended power from Kakumiro in Kibaale to Kagadi-Muhororo and Muzizi. This also resulted into provision of power to Muzizi tea factory.
A 250KVA thermal generator to light up the fishing communities of Kalangala district was completed in 2007 but still awaits procurement of an operator.
Several other grid extensions have been conducted in Sembabule, Bushenyi, Bugiri, Kamuli, Mpigi, Tororo, Busia, Oyam, Gulu, Apac, Rakai, Isingiro, Ntugamo districts.
Additionally, over 63 other schemes have either been constructed and commissioned or are under implementation on a cost-sharing basis between the rural electrification fund and communities or private sector small and medium enterprises.
According to Litho, REA recently received $50m from the energy fund to execute large grid extensions projects from Sironko to Nakapiripirit, Katakwi-Moroto-Napak, Lwala-Kaberamaido-Kobululu-Amolatar and Kelle Port. Lwala-Otuboi-Acinip and Lwala-Dokolo.
Others to be implemented under the scheme include Kitgum-Palabek and Lira-Apala-Aloi. Ibanda-Kabujogera-Kamwenge and Muhanga-Kamwezi among others.
UMEME is also implementing several grid extension projects in Kiboga, Luweero, Masaka, Mayuge, Mpigi, Mukono, Wakiso, Iganga, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Mbale, Pallisa, Sironko, Tororo, Hoima, Lira, Bushenyi, Ibanda, Kabale, Kabarole, Kyenjojo, Mbarara, Ntugamo and Rukungiri districts.
Planned projects.
According to Litho, several grid extension exercises will be undertaken from Lira-Adwari-Abim to Kotido and environs, Gulu-Adjumani-Moyo and environs, Mubende-Kyenjojo and environs, Kabale-Kisoro, Rakai-Sembabule, Nebbi-Pakwach, Nyagak-Vurra, Arua-Koboko, Kapchorwa-Bukwo-Suam. Others will include grid extension to Mityana-Lusalira-Lake Victoria free Trade zone, Buseruka-Hoima, Baale-Galilaya and Mubende-Kiganda.
Energy Minister, Eng. Hillary Onek while commissioning the sh6.7bn power extension exercise in the newly created Lamwo district also noted that Government was on the right truck to extend power to rural areas.
MOSES Senono, a resident of Busaana sub-county in Kayunga district has a kiosk in Busaana trading centre. A few minutes to 8:00pm, the trading centre is dead quiet.
Senono can hardly afford buying enough petrol to run his generator for the work station and light bulbs which is the only source of light in his home at night.
Senono’s family is among millions of rural families that rush to accomplish all their daily chores before it gets dark.
They simply cannot afford paying for artificial light. Just only seven percent of the households in Uganda’s rural areas have access to electricity.
In these remote areas, solar energy and generators are a dream that villagers think can never come to reality.
To several rural Ugandans buying kerosene when there is wide spread poverty is impossible. A litre of kerosene goes for about sh2,300 at most fuel stations.
However as some people think of abandoning the main grid, government is committed to its promises of extending power to rural areas.
In 2001, Rural Electrification Agency had a strategic power plan of increasing rural electrification coverage from 1% to 10% by 2012. Its new target, however, is 20% by 2015.
According to the Indicative Rural Electrification Master Plan (IREMP) of January 2009, it is projected that 93% electrification rate of the identified 513,000 potential connections will be achieved in the 10th year of its implementation.
The plan indicates that three regions would achieve full and near-full saturation while West Nile is projected to achieve a lower rate due to the cost of local hydro facilities.
In the north, 112,940 connections will be made, 21,544 connections in north east, 131,445 in eastern, 104,257 in central, 93,405 in western and 49,750 in West Nile regions.
At the time of its design, it was only Kotido and Kaabong district headquarters that were not electrified.
The IREMP also targets 350,000 grid connections and a further 150,000 off-grid connections for the first period.
“We are moving in the right direction. Today, rural electrification stands at 7% but measures have been put in place to accelerate it further to 20% by 2015,†says Dr. Patricia Litho, REA’s spokesperson.
She listed some of the measures like establishment of the energy and rural electrification funds to increase the generation capacity and expansion of the national grid.
She says during the process of extending power to rural areas, their priorities are the district headquarters and agro-processing centres like factories.
They also extend power to health facilities, educational institutions, water supply and Information and Communication Technology (ICT) centres.
The $3.6m power grid extension to Bundibugyo district is among the few power projects which have been completed since REA was launched 10 years ago.
Shafiq Masud, the owner of ‘man’s family stationery’ in Bundibugyo district, said the power line extended to the district will help reduce business costs.
For the last five years, he has been spending between sh2,700 to sh3,000 on a litre of petrol for his generator.
Apart from Bundibugyo, Litho says to date over 206 projects from 24 rural districts have been implemented either directly by REA, Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd and UMEME.
She said REA has so far implemented 20 projects, 76 have been implemented through UEDCL and 110 schemes by UMEME.
Litho listed some of the completed projects as Rugombe-Kyenjojo-Katooke-Nyantungo, Namutere-Namayemba, Koner Kilak-Pader-Patongo and Kalongo-Adilag-Abim, Nyakagyeme-Kambuga-Kihiihi-Kanungu with T-offs to Kayonza and Butogota.
Another grid extension from Kanungu-Rugyeyo resulted into extension of power Rugyeyo tea factory in Kanungu district.
The government has also extended power from Kakumiro in Kibaale to Kagadi-Muhororo and Muzizi. This also resulted into provision of power to Muzizi tea factory.
A 250KVA thermal generator to light up the fishing communities of Kalangala district was completed in 2007 but still awaits procurement of an operator.
Several other grid extensions have been conducted in Sembabule, Bushenyi, Bugiri, Kamuli, Mpigi, Tororo, Busia, Oyam, Gulu, Apac, Rakai, Isingiro, Ntugamo districts.
Additionally, over 63 other schemes have either been constructed and commissioned or are under implementation on a cost-sharing basis between the rural electrification fund and communities or private sector small and medium enterprises.
According to Litho, REA recently received $50m from the energy fund to execute large grid extensions projects from Sironko to Nakapiripirit, Katakwi-Moroto-Napak, Lwala-Kaberamaido-Kobululu-Amolatar and Kelle Port. Lwala-Otuboi-Acinip and Lwala-Dokolo.
Others to be implemented under the scheme include Kitgum-Palabek and Lira-Apala-Aloi. Ibanda-Kabujogera-Kamwenge and Muhanga-Kamwezi among others.
UMEME is also implementing several grid extension projects in Kiboga, Luweero, Masaka, Mayuge, Mpigi, Mukono, Wakiso, Iganga, Kamuli, Kapchorwa, Mbale, Pallisa, Sironko, Tororo, Hoima, Lira, Bushenyi, Ibanda, Kabale, Kabarole, Kyenjojo, Mbarara, Ntugamo and Rukungiri districts.
Planned projects.
According to Litho, several grid extension exercises will be undertaken from Lira-Adwari-Abim to Kotido and environs, Gulu-Adjumani-Moyo and environs, Mubende-Kyenjojo and environs, Kabale-Kisoro, Rakai-Sembabule, Nebbi-Pakwach, Nyagak-Vurra, Arua-Koboko, Kapchorwa-Bukwo-Suam. Others will include grid extension to Mityana-Lusalira-Lake Victoria free Trade zone, Buseruka-Hoima, Baale-Galilaya and Mubende-Kiganda.
Energy Minister, Eng. Hillary Onek while commissioning the sh6.7bn power extension exercise in the newly created Lamwo district also noted that Government was on the right truck to extend power to rural areas.