KAMPALA – Critical projects under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development continue to face enormous funding gaps, including a staggering Shs 300 billion needed for stalled rural electrification works.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!The development was revealed in a report from Parliament’s Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, which noted that even after the Ministry’s budget was raised, funding shortfalls and mounting government arrears still threaten key sectors.
According to the findings read by the Committee’s Chairperson, Hon. Herbert Edmund Ariko, the Ministry of Energy’s budget has increased to over Shs 2.28 trillion, a rise of Shs 438 billion.
However, the report warned of enormous funding gaps, including a staggering Shs 300 billion for stalled rural electrification works, sparking concern among MPs, who raised alarm over delays in the programme.
Hon. William Chemonges noted that access to power remains a matter of daily life for many communities and that members have repeatedly taken these concerns from their constituencies to Parliament.
Hon. Chemonges disclosed that the government had earlier presented a list of beneficiary districts under a World Bank-supported programme, and surveyors were sent to the field, but communities have yet to see actual implementation on the ground.
Meanwhile, the government plans to roll out over 1,073,500 new electricity connections across all regions, though implementation hinges entirely on closing the major funding gaps identified by the committee.
The legislator Stella Atyang raised particular concern over the lack of transformers in Karamoja, noting that many areas have power lines in place but residents cannot access electricity due to missing equipment.
Despite repeated engagements with the Minister and surveys conducted on the ground, she said, no transformers have been procured over the past three years, leaving entire communities without power.
The Minister of State for Energy, Hon. Okaasai Opolot, responded to the concern, acknowledging that the ministry requires about Shs 4 trillion to achieve full electrification.
The Minister noted that much of the current rural electrification is funded by donors, and this reliance comes with conditions that continue to shape how electrification programmes are implemented.
About the Author
