232,000 Customers Await Connections to Uganda’s Electricity Grid

The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has reported progress in reducing electricity tariffs, clearing the connection backlog and strengthening the country’s electricity distribution network.

Speaking after a meeting with the Parliamentary Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, UEDCL Acting Managing Director Joselynne R. Rwabwogo said the company is implementing a series of measures aimed at improving service delivery and restoring customer confidence.

Rwabwogo said electricity tariffs have fallen by 19 percent since UEDCL took over the electricity distribution network, with tariffs for large industrial consumers now averaging about 5.5 US cents per kilowatt-hour, making Uganda one of the more competitive industrial electricity markets in the region.

She said UEDCL is also working to address a major backlog of customers who have paid for electricity connections but are still waiting to be connected.

According to Rwabwogo, more than 232,000 customers remain in the backlog, largely due to delays in the supply of electricity meters. She said UEDCL currently has more than 240,000 meters in the country and has secured contracts for an additional 1.12 million meters.

The company is targeting 880,351 new electricity connections between now and December 2027, she said.

On network reliability, Rwabwogo said electricity demand has increased by about 60 percent over the past four years, placing additional pressure on an ageing distribution network.

UEDCL is implementing a US$120 million investment plan to upgrade overloaded substations, clear electricity line corridors, undertake critical maintenance, replace faulty transformers and strengthen its capacity to respond to faults.

The company has already recorded improvements, with average fault-resolution times declining over the past three months and transformer-related outages reducing by 30 percent, according to Rwabwogo.

She, however, acknowledged that significant challenges remain, particularly power theft and vandalism, which continue to undermine network reliability and divert resources that could otherwise be used for new connections and service improvements.

Rwabwogo urged customers and communities to help protect electricity infrastructure while also meeting their responsibility to pay electricity bills on time.

“There is still significant work ahead,” she said, noting that UEDCL remains focused on improving reliability, connecting more Ugandans and expanding the network to meet the country's growing electricity demand.

She said the ongoing reforms and investments would not resolve all challenges immediately but would progressively improve the quality and reliability of electricity services across the country.