The Vice President of Uganda Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi has commissioned French government funded Nkenda- Hoima transmission line and its associated substations with a call to relevant authorities to ensure that power prices and loses go down.
Sekandi also commissioned that broad rural electrification program in Western and Southern Uganda.
The French Government lending arm, Agence Française de Développement (AFD) was a key partner by providing the required funds for the project.
“France, via AFD, the Agence Française de Développement, proves and has proven for the last 20 years, to be a key partner for Uganda’s development.
“After having supported the necessary increase of the national generation capacity that significantly improved power reliability and affordability in Uganda, AFD supports the Government of Uganda in improving transmission, distribution and increasing access.
“By promoting renewable energy we support both the Ugandan population and climate change resilience,” said Virginie Leroy, AFD representative in Uganda.
Besides the project, AFD is contributing to the Connections Policy, first by having taken part in the dialogue that led to the design of the Policy, and secondly by financing one of the pilot projects to subsidize connections, in accordance with this Policy.
According to the French Government, the financing of such projects enables to cater for the energy needs of the populations in rural areas, in a comprehensive approach.
Upgrading power transmission and reliability for the West of the country
AFD has financed Nkenda and Hoima substations and part of the corresponding transmission line,
thanks to a concessional loan of 23 M USD. The project is co-financed by the Norwegian Agency
for Development Cooperation.
The Nkenda-Hoima line and associated substations are in agreement with Uganda’s overall energy
policy to meet the energy needs of the population for social and economic development.
The transmission line is intended to facilitate the evacuation of hydroelectricity generated in the area
and will serve in the longer term to improve power supply, quality and reliability in western Uganda.
Improving access to energy for the Ugandan population
AFD has financed a wide program of rural electrification in Western and Southern Uganda covering
24 districts, including Kasese.
The Agency provided a concessional loan of 42.9 M EUR to build about 3,000 km of new low voltage and medium voltage lines.
Additionally, AFD participated in the dialogue that led to the design of the Connections Policy
launched by the Rural Electrification Agency.
The purpose is to subsidize the connection costs under the condition that households take charge of their own wiring.
The Agency supports furthermore this Connections Policy by implementing one of the pilot projects that intends to finance 65,000 new connections, thanks to a 7.1 M EUR grant delegated to AFD by the European Union.
The improvement of the rural areas electricity grid will result in a better economic development
and a reduction of the inequalities between rural and urban areas: households, schools, health
centers, markets and small businesses will get a subsidized connection to power that will improve
livelihoods and wealth.
H.E the Vice President of the Republic of Uganda, Edward Kiwanuka Sekandi commissioned the line in the presence of the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, the Ministers of State for Energy and for Agriculture and the Permanent Secretary for Energy.
Others were the Managing Director of Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), the Executive Director of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA), the Country Representative of AFD in Kampala, representatives from the Government of Uganda and from the Kingdom of Norway.
