BUTEBO — Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja has commissioned electricity projects worth more than Shs240 million in Butebo District, aimed at improving power access and reliability for households, public institutions and businesses.
The projects, implemented by the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), were commissioned over the weekend in Petete Sub-county during a thanksgiving ceremony for Minister for Science, Technology and Innovation Dr Monica Musenero.
One of the projects involved extending the electricity distribution network to Petete Primary School, which had already been fully wired internally but remained without a connection to the national grid.
The extension also connected Petete Church, nearby households and Petete Town Council offices, while a new transformer was installed to improve electricity supply in the area.
The second project involved the installation of a 100kVA transformer at a mini-industrial park under construction in Kabarekere Village, near St Paul High School.
According to UEDCL, the industrial park previously lacked adequate electricity infrastructure and relied on a 25kVA single-phase transformer located about 600 metres away.
The existing supply was considered insufficient to meet the industrial park’s projected electricity demand of 48kW, prompting the installation of the larger transformer.
UEDCL Managing Director Eng. Joselynne Rwabwogo said the new installation would provide the capacity required to support growing commercial activity and agro-processing in the area.
“With growing commercial activity and agro-processing in the area, we anticipate increased electricity demand. We have therefore installed a new 100kVA transformer to provide the capacity needed to support industrial and agro-processing activities,” Rwabwogo said.
Prime Minister Nabbanja said reliable electricity was critical to the Government’s efforts to transform communities economically, particularly by improving education, supporting agro-processing and creating employment opportunities.
“Access to reliable electricity is key to improving education, supporting agro-processing and creating jobs for our people,” Nabbanja said.
She commended UEDCL for extending electricity to Petete Primary School and supporting the development of the industrial park, describing the projects as part of the transformation Government seeks to achieve in Butebo and other parts of the country.
Nabbanja also urged residents to take advantage of improved electricity access to transition from subsistence agriculture to commercial farming, value addition and other income-generating activities.
She said increased electricity connectivity should be matched with investment in businesses and agro-processing enterprises capable of creating jobs and increasing the value of agricultural produce.
Eng. Rwabwogo said the projects in Butebo form part of UEDCL’s broader efforts to address electricity reliability challenges and respond to growing demand.
She added that UEDCL is conducting stakeholder engagements in different parts of the country to identify service gaps, assess local electricity needs and obtain feedback from local leaders.
The newly commissioned projects are expected to improve electricity access in Petete and surrounding areas while providing additional power capacity for the planned industrial park as commercial and agro-processing activities expand in Butebo District.
