Photos by Shamim Saad
The state minister for finance in charge of investment and privatization Evelyn Anite has urged Uganda Electricity Generation Company Ltd (UEGCL) to work tirelessly to generate more electricity to meet the needs of investors and consumers.
The minister said this during a handover ceremony of the old board chairperson Dr Stephen Robert Isabalija who was appointed permanent secretary ministry of energy and mineral development to the new board chairperson Eng. Proscovia Margaret Njuki who was serving on the board.
The function took place at the Lake Victoria Serena Resort, Kigo in Wakiso District on Thursday.
"We need enough power to run factories. There is enough power generation today to prevent black outs. But the challenge now is distribution and transmission," Anite said.
Anite explained that she appointed Njuki because she was competent and her CV demonstrates that. She said there was a little friction during the appointment of Njuki after two names were submitted for the post. She said this has been ironed out and the ministry of finance fully supports her.
Isabalija said he was appointed board chairperson from 2011 when the company was quiet and not heard of. He said by then the company was supervising two dams but now they are supervising several dams and projects.
He said the staff members were few totaling 43, but now they have grown to 116 and expect to increase further in numbers.
"I am handing over without having been arrested. Some board chairmen have been arrested. I urge management to continue working with the board. A management that does not work with the board is a disaster. Learn to create consensus during board meetings," Isabalija said.
He explained that he has an open door policy to his office and his commitment was to serve. "People should not let offices get into their heads. I am PS (permanent secretary) to do work. I occupy office of the PS. Tomorrow someone will sit in this office. Some people make offices personal. Some people lock offices, drawers so others do not get in," he noted.
Njuki expressed her commitment to increase the electricity generation capacity of the country to support industrial growth and meet domestic consumption needs.
Njuki said a number of big hydro power projects were under construction and many small hydro power projects would be undertaken.
The National Development Plan sets a projected target of increasing electricity consumption per capita from 75 kWh/Capita to 1,273 kWh/Capita (2020) and this requires an additional 8,200 MW in installed capacity. The current national installed generation capacity is 850 MW. The access to electricity currently stands at 20%.
She said negotiations were on going with KFW (a German government-owned development bank, based in Frankfurt) for a grant to undertake studies to assess the damage and repair needed on the Nalubaale Power Station (Owen Falls Dam).
She added that there was need to support protection of the environment which provides water for the dams to generate power.
She was in 1974 the first female engineering graduate in Uganda. She is an electrical engineer with a long working experience in public service and is active in civic, public and international organizations.
Eng. Dr. Harrison Mutikanga chief executive officer of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited said the old board had set a strong foundation for the company and enabled it to grow.
Mutikanga said the new team would lay strategies for the next five years.
