“It was to enable the business and economic activities between Uganda and DRC. We designed the line to extend power from where it had stopped to reach this place. URA committed close to 160 million to the project. The project is also going to benefit the community a lot through creation of many business opportunities,” Woniala said in a Press Conference.

The project was funded by URA to the tune of 160 million shillings but the design, extension and repair of the MV line and the old transformer at the border point damaged by the 2021 fire incident sparked by a dangerous petroleum truck was done by Wenreco.

Judith Wanguic, the Public Relations Officer of West Nile Rural Electrification Company (Wenreco) has rallied the community who were supportive of this project from its inception, to now apply and get connected.
“As the service Provider in the region, Wenreco has worked closely with URA [our main funder for the project] to enable the customs to have power and to ease their work at the station. It will also help the community of Goli Boma East develop being at the border, there are a lot of economic activities that people who are within the border can do,” she said.

“The planning of the designs was approved and last month the team were here. We appreciate the community who supported the project right from its inception. Now the place has power, we encourage them to apply and get connected,” she added.

Wanguic further took leaders and residents through the new Electricity Act 2022 particularly section 85A which lists offences and penalties for those caught vandalising electricity infrastructure.

The law; she explained punishes anyone who cuts, stores, transports, illegally connects a meter, or damages any meter among other acts.

“It’s an offence for one to move from one place to another any electric supply line, material, meter or public lamp without the consent of the licensee or owner. A person who commits an offence under this new law is liable on conviction, to a fine not exceeding fifty thousand currency points (Shs 1bn) or imprisonment not exceeding 12 years or both,” Wanguic said.

Jupangira sub-county where the one-stop border point is situated has a population of over 14,000 people according to the sub_county leadership.

The LC3 chairperson  Dominic Sunday Ogenmungu urged locals in the area to now engage in developmental activities as power is in place and he also cautioned against vandalism.
“We are so grateful for the extension of power to this place, I believe a lot of businesses are going to thrive here like welding, and secretarial work amongst others. Let’s get to productive work.

Locals Welcome Electricity Supply 

The LC 1 chairperson of Goli Boma East Village Abok Phillip Kayomba has appreciated URA and WENRECO for this great stride.

He however appealed for a subsidized power connection fee noting that the power connection fee of over UGX600,000 is too expensive.
“We have been waiting for this moment for years, now we have power, we thank URA and WENRECO for this initiative, and we call upon WENRECO to reduce the connection fees such many of us can be connected,” Abok said.

“Now we have power but the challenge here is the road, we don’t have a packing space here, you need to advocate for this road to be worked upon,” he said.