Kampala, (UG):- Uganda’s main electricity distribution company – UMEME over the weekend announced that the East African country will tomorrow, Tuesday, July 23, 2024 experience a whole day power shutdown for ‘scheduled maintenance works’.
“Dear***, there will be a power shutdown in your area, on Tuesday 23rd July from 8 am to 5 pm to enable maintenance works. Please accept our apologies, UMEME Kireka,” reads a message from UMEME offices in Kireka to one of the customers sent on Saturday, July 20th.
Reports this publication could not verify indicated that the same messages were also sent to Ugandans elsewhere, which is coincidental to the planned anti-corruption walk in the city centre.
The alerts from UMEME have thrown many Ugandans across the country in eager and anticipatory mode, many of whom are anxious about the possibility of widespread power cuts which might last for days with the Kampala Metropolitan expected to be the most affected.
The power cutoff alerts come at a time when Ugandans are planning a protest against rampant corruption in the country by marching to parliament tomorrow.
“UMEME is planning a national shutdown on the day Ugandans decided to peacefully demonstrate against corruption,” lamented one of social media platform X users
“Warning to those young people (#GenZ) planning to #March2Parliament on July 23rd 2024, “that before you jeopardize your futures, please charge your gadgets/ phones on 22nd, because on 23rd July expect a total power shutdown,” another X user posted.
There are also fears from netizens that the internet network may also be affected by Tuesday morning.
By the time of filing this story, UMEME had been contacted for a comment but the authorized persons were yet to revert with a response.
However, the Uganda police have reiterated that it won’t allow the protests to happen, and this was evident when military police on Monday morning cordoned off the premises of the Opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) in Makerere-Kavule.
So far, Katikamu South MP, Hassan Kirumira, Francis Tebandeke of Bbaale County and NUP Youth Wing leader Francis Zaake of Mityana Municipality, were among others arrested by Monday afternoon.
At the same venue, unknown persons dropped piglets bearing the name of NUP Spokesperson and Leader of Opposition Joel Ssenyonyi protesting alleged corruption by some officials there.
President Yoweri Museveni has since warned protesters that they will be “playing with fire” if they press ahead with plans to stage an anti-corruption march to parliament on Tuesday.
Ugandan youths have been organising the march on social media to demand an end to corruption in government. These, have been partly inspired by their counterparts in neighbouring Kenya, who organised mass demonstrations that forced President William Ruto to drop plans to increase taxes.
In a televised address to the nation on Saturday, Mr Museveni warned the Ugandan organisers that their planned protest would not be tolerated.
“We are busy producing wealth… and you here want to disturb us. You are playing with fire because we cannot allow you to disturb us,” he said.
The president also accused some of the protest organisers of “always working with foreigners” to cause chaos in Uganda. He did not elaborate.
NUP president Bobi Wine however denied that the party is not leading the protests but supports the planners’/ youths’ cause.
Do you have a story or an opinion to share? Email us on: dailyexpressug@gmail.com Or follow the Daily Express on X Platform or WhatsApp for the latest updates.
