The Ugandan government has started deploying equipment for the last-mile connection of 87 500 rural households to the national power grid as part of its programme to improve access to electricity.

The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development kicked off the hand-out in Iganga in the eastern Luuka District. The country’s main power distribution company, UMEME Limited, has been contracted to facilitate the connections under the 10-year Rural Electricity Access project, which will contribute to meeting Uganda’s goal of providing electricity access to 60% of its population. As per recent data from the Uganda Bureau of Statistics, 57% of the country’s population have access to electricity.

According to the AfDB, which in 2015 approved a US$100 million loan for the project, the initiative will expand ‘the grid’s medium-voltage and low-voltage distribution networks spread over five service territories in 16 district areas, and provide last-mile connections to households, public infrastructure and small and medium enterprises’. The project is due for completion by December 2022.

5 October 2021
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