HON. CHRISTOPHER BAKASHABA; YOU CREATED THESE CITIES, GIVE THEM SERVICES

By Moses Rwamigoye 

 

Yesterday on the floor of parliament, Mbarara North Division MP Christopher Bakashaba challenged Government over continued electricity gaps in parts of Mbarara City, saying areas such as Biharwe and Kakiika still lack power.

 

In both moderate voice and pessimistic mood, Hon Bakashaba said “In Mbarara City, we don’t have power. In Biharwe we don’t have power, and even in Kakiika, we don’t have power. But the minister is here reading rural-village, rural -rural. Minister, what are you really reading. Your are reading past tense. Honourable Minister, you created these cities, you have to give them services.” 

Speaking with Hon Christopher Bakashaba today, He openly said that he will move on with the fight of power connectivity in Mbarara City until his constituency is fully connected because this is Kisanja no Sleep.

 

 

Hon. Christopher Bakashaba questioned whether the rural electrification statement sufficiently addresses present-day needs in newly created urban areas especially cities where electricity means a lot when it comes to daily business affairs.

Records in Mbarara city show that load shedding is becoming a regular habit, hence sabotaging various businesses in the city. Foristance, few months ago, Mr. Tashobya Bonny, Speaker of Mbarara City Council almost went on power strike after receiving several petitions from the business community condemning regular load shedding. Mbarara City is developing day and night and in various business sectors. Therefore, Mbarara City needs power connectivity in all its villages. 

 

Hon Bakashaba raised his concern of power gaps in Mbarara City as Parliament was debating on the Minister’s statement on the performance of rural electrification programmes across the country.

 

Not only Hon Christopher Bakashaba raised the concern of Power gaps in his constituency but other several Members cried out. Foristance, MP for Kazo County Hon Dan Kimosho said on the floor of parliament;

“We have a serious problem of electricity in Kazo. Besides having a few places with power connectivity, even the little we have is always on and off. I was at some point tempted to think that UEDCLTD employed an under age who was always playing on the switches by switching on and off every time until Minister Hon Okaasai Opolot- Minister Of State For Energy Told me that we have a national problem. 

Furthermore, Kioga North County MP Geoffrey Ocen also challenged Government over unreliable and incomplete electricity connections in Amolatar District, saying some areas have poles and wires in place but communities still lack dependable power.

“You hardly have power for two days in a week, and this has interrupted businesses, affected operations at the health facility, and affected livelihood of the people.”

Hon. Ocen also raised concern over government health facilities that remain without electricity despite power lines passing nearby, and asked the Ministry to urgently address the gaps.

It was observed that many communities still lacks power connectivity since several MPs raised concerns over unfinished connections, unreliable supply, unpaid contractors, vandalism, electricity losses and public facilities that remain without power even where lines have already been extended.

 

At the centre of the debate the simple question was: How quickly can Government turn electricity infrastructure on paper into reliable power for homes, businesses and public services? To answer the above questio, State Minister for Energy Sidronius Okaasai said six of the 11 power lines that were still under construction when the Rural Electrification Agency was mainstreamed into the Ministry have now been completed and commissioned.

 

The project has delivered 1,780.59 kilometres of medium-voltage lines, 2,646.53 kilometres of low-voltage lines and 981 transformers, connecting 141,400 new electricity consumers. All planned consumer connections under the project were undertaken. Min. Okaasai said Government is targeting one million free electricity connections for households requiring one-pole or no-pole services under the Electricity Access Scale-up Project.

 

So far, 235,906 households have been connected. The Ministry said additional meter suppliers have now been brought on board and, if connection materials remain available, UEDCL is expected to make about 500,000 new connections over the next 12 months. Away from the grid, 420,000 off-grid solar systems have also been distributed.