Government should keep off Murchison Falls

Murchison Falls, one of Uganda’s spectacular falls on River Nile, is on the brink of destruction to pave way for a dam, if government is to get its way.
It is shocking to learn that government is considering a South African company, Bonang Power and Energy (Pty) Ltd, to construct a hydropower dam across Uhuru Falls in the Murchison Falls National Park.

Tucked away in north western Uganda districts of Kiryandongo and Nwoya, Murchison Falls is located in Murchison Falls National Park. This Park is Uganda’s oldest and largest conservation area, attracting more than 100,000 visitors, and generating up to Shs15 billion ($4.1 million) annually.

Here, tourists are treated to breathtaking views of the River Nile streaming through the narrow valley and cascades down to a calm stream flowing into Lake Albert.
Tourism, one of the key growth drivers of Uganda’s economy, is the nation’s top foreign exchange earner. Direct revenue from international tourism rose to $1.6b (Shs5.9 trillion) in 2018, compared to $1.453b (Shs5.3 trillion) in 2017.

But it is extremely disappointing to hear that government has made a U-turn and approved feasibility studies for the construction of a hydropower dam on this iconic feature. This will be a major blow to tourism numbers, which the government is also trying to grow.
The development will dampen the efforts of tour operators as well as other tourism stakeholders, who are on a mission to attract tourists to this naturally endowed country. The move also raises serious questions as to whether government is fully aware of the unique tourism selling features in Uganda.

The other contentious issue is that Uganda currently has a surplus of electricity. With the recent addition of the 183 Megawatts generated from Isimba Dam to the national grid, the country’s total power generated capacity has increased to 1,167 Megawatts, which is beyond the peak demand of about 625MV. So why not first consume excess electricity we have instead of destroying an iconic natural resource like Murchison Falls?

Government should instead consider developing other sources of energy such as, solar, thermal and wind, among others. Such an energy mix is one of the things that will cure power unreliability.
Let us save Murchison Falls and consider other options to generate electricity.

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