The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has invested more than Shs 240 million in two projects aimed at improving electricity supply and supporting economic growth in Butebo district.
The projects are expected to benefit residents, businesses and educational institutions through improved access to reliable electricity.
One of the projects involved extending the electricity distribution network to Petete primary school, which had been fully wired but was not connected to the national grid.
The extension also connected Petete Church, surrounding households and Petete Town Council offices, with a new transformer installed to improve supply.
In a separate intervention, UEDCL installed a 100kVA transformer to supply a mini-industrial park under construction in Kabarekere village, near St Paul High School.
The site previously relied on a 25kVA single-phase transformer located about 600 metres away, which was inadequate to meet the industrial park’s projected electricity demand of 48kW.
UEDCL managing director Joselynne Rwabwogo said the new transformer would provide the capacity needed 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 Robinah Nabbanja commissioned the projects during a thanksgiving ceremony held in Petete in honour of Energy minister Monica Musenero.
The projects form part of UEDCL’s efforts to strengthen engagement with stakeholders across the country, build partnerships with local leaders, address customer concerns and obtain feedback to improve service delivery.
Acknowledging the challenges posed by frequent power outages, Rwabwogo said the company was committed to implementing short- and long-term infrastructure improvements to address network constraints and meet growing electricity demand.
“These interventions reaffirm our commitment to strengthening the electricity distribution network, improving reliability and delivering better quality power to customers across the country,” she said.