Locals ask Museveni to fulfill electricity pledge

Residents of Kibujjo and Kagoma Nsavu villages in Namayumba Sub-county, Wakiso District, have urged President Museveni to provide electricity to the area following a pledge he made to them in 2019.
The affected residents claim the contractor assigned to extend the power has only positioned electricity poles.
During a meeting at the weekend, the chairperson of Kibujjo, Mr Atanasi Yona, claimed when the President visited the area, he directed that residents be given power.

However, residents claim the contractor only provided electricity to only Magogo and Bembe villages.
“This is the right time President Museveni should stand by his pledge to give us electricity. We don’t want to take it that the President made empty promises to us and I request him to fulfil his promise,” Mr Atanasi said.

The contractor and officials from the Rural Electrification Programme (REP), led by Mr Abel Bees attended the meeting.
Mr Bees told the residents that he cannot promise them electricity.
“The two villages need more than 200 low voltage power poles which are not available in stock, now how can we promise you power with no materials to use?” Mr Bees asked.
The project coordinator, Mr Hinji Nabasa, said the district was added to the programme but their target was to extend power to Kiboga, Kagadi, Hoima and Kibaale.
Mr Atanasi dismissed claims that residents did not want power in their area.

“Development begins with electricity and why should someone say that we don’t want power in our area yet we even have a Kibujjo Health Centre II in our area which needs power,” he wondered.
 “Let President Museveni come to our rescue because this is a very serious issue,” Mr Atanasi added.
Ms Madrine Kobusigye, a resident, threatened to sue the contractors who placed the high voltage line in her land without her consent.
The Resident District Commissioner, Ms Justine Mbabazi, pledged to follow up the matter.

“Our President doesn’t forget his pledges and if he promised electricity to the people of Kibujjo and Kagoma Nsanvu, he will deliver and I am also going to follow it up and we will deliver the project on time,” Ms Mbabazi said.
According Rural Electrification, nearly 600 million people lack access to electricity in rural parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
They further state that the rate of access in rural Uganda is remarkably low—just 11 percent and that government is working to raise access levels to 26 percent by the end of this year.
They say even with government support, 20 percent of rural households are still unable to afford the required in-house wiring.