West Nile’s over 3 million residents have reasons to celebrate as they are finally connected to the national grid, ending decades of unreliable electricity.
The recently completed Gulu-Olwiyo 132 kV line portion of the Kole-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua Project has formally extended the transmission grid to the West Nile sub-region.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, West Nile now has a capacity of 90 MW from the Gulu-Olwiyo 132 kV line portion of the Kole-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua project, compared to the region’s current electricity demand of only 6 MW. Although this demand is projected to increase to 10 MW within 12 months, experts from the ministry emphasize the need “to find a way to grow electricity demand in the area.”
President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, while commissioning the project at Thatha Cell, Thatha Division, Nebbi Municipality on August 3, 2024, stressed the need for more industrial parks in the region to consume the abundant power.
“We now have enough power in the granary; therefore, what I recommend is to develop an industrial park somewhere in West Nile near the power,” he said. He advised leaders to “get some land where the industrial park can be established to consume the 90 megawatts.”
Museveni added that the project has fulfilled the government’s commitment to serving the people of West Nile, “proving that the argument of people that we have neglected West Nile was disruptive.” He also highlighted the potential for exporting electricity to neighbouring countries like South Sudan and DR Congo to attract factories confidently.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development noted that if the 132 kV line is not maximally consumed, the government will incur additional costs of managing the voltage due to the distance between the line and the ground generating overvoltage. The ministry has invested in additional equipment for the transformers and substations at Arua and Kole to handle any idle power.
The long-awaited World Bank-funded project cost $638 million (UGX 2 trillion), according to Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Eng. Irene Batebe.
She added that the national launch of the Electricity Access Scale-Up Project would increase electricity access at the household level, commercial enterprises, industrialization, public institutions, and more. Batebe commended the World Bank for funding the project and assured that “we will be making additional projects to ensure our people are fully connected.”
The 132 kV line portion has ended years of turbulent power in the sub-region, benefiting over 3 million people across fourteen districts, including Zombo, Nebbi, Nebbi Municipality, Pakwach, Madi-Okollo, Terego, Maracha, Obongi, Yumbe, Koboko, Moyo, Adjumani, Arua City, and Arua District.
West Nile Leaders React
Jackeline Opar, the LCIII Chairperson of Thatha Division and Dean of the Association of LCIII in Nebbi lauded the government for fulfilling its long-term commitment to the people of West Nile. She further appealed for the “connection of more areas in the division” and highlighted the importance of improving roads in addition to power.
Emmanuel Orombi, the LCV Chairperson of Nebbi District, commended the government for the milestone but called for the connection of more sub-counties in the district.
He noted improvements in power supply compared to previous years but emphasized that only 10% of their sub-counties are connected to power.
Hashim Suleiman, the MP for Nebbi Municipality, appealed for more connections, stating that “the municipality still falls short of connectivity despite housing the Nebbi Substation.” He encouraged residents to make maximum use of the available power to improve their livelihoods.
William Anyama, the LCV Chairperson of Moyo, reminded the government about the lack of key rural electrification components, which has left many parts of West Nile without power.
He called for better coordination between ministry officials and local leaders to avoid confusion during project implementation.
Future Plans
The government of Uganda plans to increase its power generation capacity to 52,400 MW by 2040 from the current 2000 MW. Although connected to the national grid, the West Nile sub-region still has areas like Obongi District without power poles.
Energy and Mineral Development Minister Ruth Nankabirwa stated that the completion of the power project fulfils the constant demand from West Nile leaders. She commended the World Bank and development partners for their support and noted that “West Nile is on fire,” turning back with results.
Nankabirwa called for patience on rural connections and assured the soon completion of the 6.5 MW Nyagak III power station in Zombo District, which will add to the existing electricity in the region.
Responding to rural connection demands, Nankabirwa emphasized that the government is not ignoring these requests and is moving ahead with them, specifically mentioning Obongi District.
A representative of the World Bank country commissioner expressed support for the scale-up intervention and the hope that the established infrastructure will facilitate the expeditious implementation of government programs in the region.
The interventions are designed to respond to government policies, including NDPIII, SDG7, and priority programs toward increased access to clean and modern energy.
Under the Electricity Access Scale-Up Project, all customers within a radius of 90 meters will benefit. Customers will require no pole or only one pole service to be connected to electricity.
