Rukiga district residents attribute underdevelopment to high cost of electricity connection

Rukiga district residents attribute underdevelopment to high cost of electricity connection

By Byamukama Libino

Locals in Rukiga have attributed the under development in the district to high costs and charges involved in electricity connections which has left out many families and trading centers not connected to the national power grid.

Previously, a person would first pay over Ugx700,000 before he/she gets full capacity electricity power connection from Umeme.

The residents listening to the minister on Saturday.

Some of the concerned residents and  Kamushaba Jackeline the councilor LC5 representing Muhanga town council  said that they have failed to develop because they have no electricity and that they always travel long distances looking for salons and power to charge their phones.

They added that the rural electrification agency  (REA) has been charging over Ugx700,000 despite the economic hardship which has left majority of the homes having no electricity yet the electric poles are in their compound.

They applauded the minister of energy and mineral development Ruth Nankabirwa for her pledge to the district.

Speaking to our reporter on Saturday after the tour of Kamwezi sub-county, Muhanga and Rwamucucu sub-county, the Rukiga woman MP Kamusiime Caroline Muhwezi said that the district has been lagging behind in electricity  connection despite voting for NRM 100% in the previous elections.

Kamusiime added that most parts of Muhanga town has no power and even those whose homes are neighboring electric poles have been left out due to the high costs of the connection fee.

She applauded the minister of energy and mineral development Ruth Nankabirwa who pledged to have a solar panels for farmers in Kamwezi to preserve milk using their milk coolers.

Nakabirwa said that electric poles ends with the boarder of Ntungamo and Rukiga district and it’s so unfortunate that the cattle keepers in Kamwezi sub-county have no electricity to preserve milk.

She pledged to send a team of surveyors from her ministry to access the agency of electricity power connection, saying that the technical institute Kamusiime is constructing will be connected to the national grid.

The minister  said that most of the homes in the district have electric poles near them and some in their compounds but the fact that Umeme has been over charging the connecting fee which they were not able to raise and they were left out.

Nankabirwa however said that she had worked out an arrangement with the president of the republic of Uganda which will benefit those having electric poles near their homes.

Nakabirwa added that the arrangement requires one to pay only Ugx200,000 to be connected and the president has given out a subsidy of Ugx250,000 which was required from the Ugx720,000 and the balance of Ugx270,000 is going to be taken care of through a loan facility from Uganda Development Bank (UDB) which will give them money without interest payable in  8 years.

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