Residents and leaders in Lwengo Town Council, Lwengo District, have issued a one-week ultimatum to the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) to restore power, warning of massive protests over a crippling three-month blackout.
The prolonged electricity outage, sparked by a faulty transformer, has brought economic activity to a virtual standstill and severely disrupted service delivery across several government institutions, security agencies, and private businesses.
Among the worst hit are the National Identification and Registration Authority (NIRA), the judicial courts, public schools, the police, and the Lwengo District headquarters.
To maintain basic service delivery, government departments have been forced to rely on expensive alternative energy sources, straining local budgets.
A visit by this publication to the NIRA offices revealed that the institution is running entirely on a generator. Officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, disclosed that they spend approximately Shs200,000 daily on fuel to keep registration equipment running.
Similarly, at the Lwengo District headquarters, officials revealed they are burning through Shs150,000 per day on generator fuel to sustain minimal administrative operations.
The economic toll on local traders and residents has been equally devastating. Mr Deo Ssekatawa, who operates a poultry feed processing plant and a maize flour milling business in Central Zone, said the lack of power ultimately forced him to shut down his operations entirely.
The blackout has also triggered a socio-economic ripple effect. Ms. Sylvia Nansikombi, a resident, noted that the timing of the outage has compounded the burden on parents ahead of the new school term.
“The reopening of schools has created additional challenges for many parents. Businesses that previously provided our daily income have been completely crippled, leaving many families unable to raise school fees for their children,” Ms. Nansikombi lamented.
Beyond the economic losses, the prolonged darkness has compromised public safety. Mr Twaha Mukasa, the chairperson of Central Zone Village, reported a sharp spike in criminal activities since the transformer broke down.
“Thieves are now breaking into homes under the cover of darkness. As local security personnel, we are finding it increasingly difficult to combat crime because we cannot effectively patrol the area without streetlights or security lights,” Mr Mukasa said.
The crisis has also fueled allegations of corruption. Ms. Hadijah Nakaggwa, another Central Zone resident, accused UEDCL of discrimination, alleging that the utility company bypassed regular channels to reconnect wealthy individuals to alternative power lines while leaving less privileged residents in the dark.
Local leaders have condemned UEDCL’s sluggish response, warning that public patience has run out.
The Deputy Resident District Commissioner (RDC), Mr Bonny Venture Rwatangabo, strongly criticized UEDCL for negligence, noting that his office had written multiple letters to the company with no tangible results.
Lwengo District Chairperson, Mr Kizito Abasi, revealed that he recently had to intervene to stop furious residents from destroying power infrastructure in protest.
‘People have run out of patience. Earlier this week, residents were planning to demonstrate and cut down the electricity poles connected to the faulty transformer, but I managed to calm them down,” Mr. Kizito said.
He added: “I appeal to UEDCL to resolve this matter within one week. If they fail, I will personally lead the affected residents to storm the UEDCL offices.’
When contacted, Mr Michael Kabanda, the UEDCL manager for the Masaka region, acknowledged the crisis and stated that the company is sourcing a replacement transformer. He urged the residents of Lwengo to remain calm and patient as technical teams work to restore the grid.