Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza-Minister for Energy and Mineral Development addressing journalists.
The government has assured Ugandans that the ongoing electricity outages affecting several parts of the country are part of a nationwide effort to modernise and expand the power network, promising that the disruptions will pave the way for a more reliable electricity supply.
Addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre on Wednesday, the Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Dr. Monica Musenero Masanza, acknowledged the inconvenience caused by the frequent blackouts and apologised to households, businesses, institutions and industries affected by the interruptions.
“We are with you. We hear you,” she said, admitting that the ministry had not communicated adequately about the reasons behind the planned outages.
According to the minister, the interruptions are largely driven by ongoing upgrades, rehabilitation and expansion of Uganda’s electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure to keep pace with rising demand for power.
The outages have disrupted electricity supply in several parts of Kampala over the past three weeks, particularly along the Kampala North–Namanve and Kampala North–Mutundwe transmission corridors. Areas affected include Kyambogo University, Ntinda, Kololo, Makerere, Kawempe, Kasubi, Namungoona and neighbouring communities.
The ministry also announced planned outages in Masanafu, Natete, Busega, Lugala and surrounding areas between July 31 and August 8, 2026, to facilitate critical works on the electricity network. Intermittent power interruptions have also been reported in districts such as Kakumiro and Mbale.
Dr. Musenero said Uganda’s electricity access has risen to 62 percent, while the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) now serves about 2.7 million customers. Since January, more than 76,000 new customers have been connected to the national grid, although approximately 500,000 applications remain pending. Government plans to connect another 300,000 customers within the next five months as additional connection materials become available.
She attributed the current outages to four key factors: major transmission improvement projects, overloaded transmission and distribution infrastructure, routine maintenance of electricity equipment, and vandalism targeting critical assets such as transformers, transmission towers, conductors and electricity poles.
Among the flagship projects is the Kampala Metropolitan Transmission System Improvement Project, financed by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which has reached 91 percent completion and is expected to be finalised by August 8, 2026.
The project involves constructing new substations at Maya in Buloba and Mukono, upgrading substations at Kawaala, Mutundwe and Bujagali, reinforcing key 132-kilovolt transmission lines, and installing a mobile substation at Namungoona.
The minister explained that the planned shutdowns are necessary to enable engineers to safely replace ageing transmission lines and upgrade key infrastructure. Once completed, the works are expected to improve electricity reliability and increase network capacity to support the growing demand for power in Kampala and surrounding areas.
Government is also accelerating other interventions, including reinforcing overloaded substations, replacing ageing transformers, expanding customer connections, acquiring additional mobile substations for use during maintenance, and increasing investment in preventive maintenance.
Dr. Musenero said these investments are already delivering results, noting that electricity availability for large industrial customers has improved to 99.7 percent. She added that network uptime, customer service, revenue collection and response times to faults have also registered significant improvements.
She appealed to the public to help protect electricity infrastructure from vandalism, describing power installations as national assets whose destruction results in avoidable outages and costly repairs. Members of the public were urged to report suspicious activities around transmission lines, substations, transformers and electricity poles to the police, UEDCL or the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL).
The minister also warned consumers against paying cash to individuals claiming to facilitate electricity connections or meter installations. She emphasised that all UEDCL payments should only be made through authorised banks and approved electronic platforms, including mobile money, and encouraged the public to report suspected fraudsters.
Dr. Musenero further revealed that government has secured a substantial stock of electricity meters and other essential network materials to accelerate new customer connections and improve restoration of electricity services.
She reaffirmed that the current outages are temporary and form part of long-term investments intended to deliver a stronger, more resilient electricity system capable of supporting Uganda’s industrialisation agenda and sustained economic growth. She also pledged that the ministry would improve communication with the public on future planned maintenance works to minimise inconvenience.
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