New UETCL board tasked to power EAC countries

The newly-appointed board of Uganda Electricity Transmission Company (UETCL) has been tasked to build bulk electricity transmission lines to export electricity to sub-stations across the East African Community.
While inaugurating the new board chaired by Mr Kwame Ejalu Ejuku yesterday, Ms Ruth Nankabirwa, the Energy minister, said with the liberalisation of the bulk transmission of electricity as outlined in the new Electricity Act, UETCL’s monopoly has been waived “and you should know that you are competing with companies in that space”.

“UETCL is responsible for the development, operations, maintenance and improvement of high voltage power transmission lines for power above 133KV in Uganda. It also owns and operates high voltage substations above 133Kv in the country and presently, the transmission network totals to about 3,100kms consisting of twenty five 122KV substations in the country,” she said. 
Ms Nankabirwa said the new board should ensure that they develop a new power distribution network for industrial parks, mining areas and tourism attractions to cater for mushrooming industries, which will create jobs.

“You should also spearhead the establishment of a key transmission line for the regional power interconnection networks to export electricity to DR Congo, South Sudan, Kenya and Tanzania.”

She mentioned the 400KV Karuma-Kawanda, 400KV Karuma-Olwiyo, 132KV Kole-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua, and 132KV Gulu-Agago—Achwa as priority power transmission lines which urgently require construction to facilitate the regional power interconnection lines such as the 400KV Olwiyo-Nimule-Juba powerline, the 400KV Mpenda-Bunia-Butembo and the 400KV Masaka—Mwanza line.
Ms Evelyne Anite, the State minister for Privatisation and Investment, said for the past five years, the electricity transmission company failed to deliver its mandate due to corruption, lack of integrity, disrespect, and nepotism among previous board members.

“Your predecessors failed in teamwork, integrity and there were issues of corruption. They failed to adhere to the mandate of UETCL. As you embark on your new role as chair, mobilise your team and inaugurate them,” she said. 

Early this year, the Monitor newspaper consistently serialised corruption scandals, which dogged the company government tasked to provide infrastructure for the evacuation of the high voltage electricity generated from the different hydro power stations in the country. Following the expose, the Finance ministry between April 5 and 12 sacked the entire UETCL board of directors over the alleged rot at the firm. 
The fired board comprised seven members, including Mr Peter Ucanda (chairman), Mr Chris Mugisha, Ms Sarah Irumba, Mr Richard Santo Apire, Ms Grace Achieng Obura, and Mr  Abdon Atwine, although Mr Ucanda earlier resigned before the axing.

In a March 21 letter to the Finance, Energy, and Privatisation and Investment ministries, Mr Ucanda indicated that he was stepping down as the chairperson of the board to ‘save his image from being tainted by media reports’ of alleged misdeeds.
The newly-appointed board, has attracted members from the private sector, the engineering sector, non-governmental organisations and government.

In his acceptance speech, Mr Ejalu said he is ready to mobilise his team to get UETCL back on track.
He said as he awaited his inauguration and that of other board members, he interacted with each of them to understand their core competences.
New board
       They include Ms Achiro Sharon Loka (independent director), Eng Innocent Oboko Yotkum (independent director) and Ms Sylvia Muwebwa Nabatanzi (independent director). Others include; Mr Julius Mukholi Wamukota (non-independent director and also representative from the Ministry of Finance), and Eng Cecilia Nakiranda Menya, a non-independent director and also a representative of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.