The Uganda electricity distribution takeover by UEDCL marks 100 days on July 9, 2025. This change ended Umeme Ltd’s 20-year control of the grid, aiming to fix frequent blackouts and load shedding that plagued the country. Despite early challenges, UEDCL’s takeover shows signs of better stability and ongoing repairs.
UEDCL took back the country’s electricity distribution infrastructure from Umeme Ltd, which had struggled with recurrent blackouts and load shedding. Many feared the rushed handover would return Uganda to the unstable era of the defunct Uganda Electricity Board (UEB).
At handover, Uganda’s generation capacity had grown to over 2,000 megawatts, thanks to major investments in transmission and distribution. Yet, unstable power supply remains a problem. UEDCL blames sporadic outages on vandalism and Umeme’s failure to invest in key infrastructure like substations. This blame game exposes deeper issues in the power sector and lapses by the Ministry of Energy and the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA).
Disputes over the buyout amount revealed more friction. The Ministry of Energy and Umeme have kept details hidden from the public. While Shs465.5 billion was assessed as due to Umeme, the company initially claimed Shs856 billion, and that figure has since risen to Shs1 trillion.
Minister of State for Energy Sidronius Okaasai Opolot acknowledged that early challenges after the Uganda electricity distribution takeover were inevitable. He explained that UEDCL had to quickly gain control of neglected infrastructure. Umeme had stopped investing for over a year after learning their concession would not be renewed.
In the last 100 days, power blackouts fluctuated. Some areas saw longer outages, while others gained more stable supply. UEDCL focused on fixing faulty equipment. Jonan Kiiza, UEDCL’s head of corporate and stakeholder affairs, reported many transformers and pole structures were rotten when they took over. Overgrown vegetation also compromised the network.
Umeme handed over a network including 60 substations, 15 switch stations, over 32,000 low voltage lines, nearly 19,000 kilometers of medium voltage lines, and more than 19,000 distribution transformers. Non-network assets such as office buildings and land were also included, though some land has been encroached upon or stripped.
UEDCL’s assessment revealed defects and network issues worth $85 million (Shs310 billion), with $60 million (Shs220 billion) needed urgently for repairs and spare parts. At takeover, they found 116 faulty transformers that needed quick replacement.
In places like Entebbe and Mbarara, blackouts continued through May and June. However, UEDCL replaced more than 80 locally made transformers countrywide. Outages mainly resulted from planned shutdowns of substations and transmission lines to overhaul and improve performance.
An internal UEDCL report shows key substations improving: Mbarara North’s capacity doubled from 20MVA to 40MVA by mid-June 2025; Kabale-Kisoro’s increased from 2.5MVA to 5MVA; Kakiri remained steady at 10MVA. Still, many areas await noticeable improvements.
Vandalism poses a serious challenge. The Uganda People’s Defence Forces linked theft and destruction of electricity equipment to organized sabotage aimed at disrupting the government’s electricity plans. Last week, police charged 17 suspects with terrorism-related vandalism during a crackdown.
The Uganda electricity distribution takeover has faced hurdles but shows progress. How UEDCL manages these challenges will shape Uganda’s power future.
Read: Uganda Electricity Distribution Company to Assume PACMECS’ Supplier Role, as Directed by ERA
