The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) on Monday convened a high-profile public dialogue under the banner of the Kigo Thinkers Baraza, bringing together key voices from the energy, media, and regulatory sectors to engage in a robust discussion on the future of electricity distribution and tariff structures in Uganda.
The event, held in Kampala, was moderated by veteran broadcaster and media personality Oscar Semweya Musoke, and featured a distinguished panel of thought leaders and industry practitioners. Among them was Eng. Ziria Tibalwa Waako, the Chief Executive Officer of ERA who outlined regulatory priorities aimed at improving electricity delivery across the country.
Joining her on the panel was Dr. Frank Sebbowa, former CEO of ERA, whose decades-long experience in Uganda’s energy space provided historical context and technical insight. Mr. Angelo Izama, a respected journalist and policy analyst, contributed a media and civic engagement perspective, while Mr. Blessing Nshaho, Chief Corporate and Strategy Officer at Umeme Ltd, provided the utility’s outlook on operational efficiency and private sector engagement.
The baraza, attended by industry stakeholders and energy consumers alike, also welcomed Mr. Richard Byarugaba, former Managing Director of the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), as well as a technical team from the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL). Representatives from prominent media houses and consumer advocacy groups contributed to a lively and transparent exchange.
The dialogue focused on pressing issues facing Uganda’s electricity distribution sector, including regulatory bottlenecks, service delivery gaps, rising demand, and the need for sustainable financing models. Panelists emphasized the importance of attracting cost-effective capital into the distribution segment, improving reliability, and ensuring equitable tariff structures that protect vulnerable consumer categories.
Eng. Waako reiterated ERA’s commitment to inclusive and transparent decision-making. “We believe in stakeholder-driven solutions,” she said. “Bringing everyone to the table—from policy experts to consumers—helps us build a stronger, more responsive electricity sector.”
She further revealed that in a bid to revamp the country’s power grid, the government of Uganda is set to invest US$ 100m about Shs370Bn in the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), which took over from Umeme at the beginning of this month. The money will enable UEDCL to upgrade power distribution network in the country over a period of 9 months.
“Umeme has never been able to reach that in any particular year,” Waako said, adding that, “Going forward, UEDCL will recover the costs through the tariff just like Umeme did, making them sustainable.” She emphasised that this initial capital for UEDCL is seed money from the Government and not a loan.
Waako explained that ERA’s performance targets for UEDCL include reducing energy loss factors to 14.5% this year then to 13.65% next year and 12.31% by 2027, which will be a significant improvement from Umeme’s 16% by the time it handed over to UEDCL. She also noted that access to electricity is projected to grow toward universal coverage by 2030.
About revenue collection by UEDCL, Waako revealed that ERA expects consistent performance at 99.85% and above, noting that the advantages of prepaid metering systems for households and automated meters for industries will enable the company to achieve this target.
In a bid to reduce power loss, Waako said that all government Ministries, Departments and Authorities (MDAs)will also be enrolled on the prepaid three-phase meters.
Meanwhile, following this significant investment by government, UEDCL has since laid out a 100-day roadmap during which the company will focus on network restoration, new customer connections and capital investments.
This was revealed by Protaze Tibyakinura, the UEDCL Chief Engineer and technical services officer, who said that the first 15 days of their operation have been tough, mainly because of the challenges they inherited from Umeme.
We have operated for 15 days now, which haven’t been easy. You would be naïve to think that they were going to be easy, but we are prepared and ready for it,” Tibyakinura said.
Tibyakinura also revealed that starting May, UEDCL is set to roll out several capital projects which have already been approved by ERA, and they have already kicked off by purchasing 200 new transformers to replace faulty ones, and have re-erected over 300 structures that were left incapacitated after Umeme’s exit.
Tibyakinura noted that by the end of May and beginning of June, UEDCL will be rolling out and implementing larger infrastructure projects also known as ‘Greenfield Developments’, which will include network extension, new sub-stations and major refurbishments.
He explained that the objective here is for UEDCL to operate a sustainable power distribution network with minimal challenges, key among these being reduced blackouts and power losses.
Discussions also highlighted the role of technology in enhancing efficiency, and the need for reform in power distribution systems to reduce technical and commercial losses. Participants called for increased collaboration between regulators, distributors, and civil society to drive change in the sector.
The Kigo Thinkers Baraza is part of ERA’s strategy to deepen public engagement and align electricity reforms with national development goals.