Entebbe, Uganda: The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has registered 648,404 new connections in just six months since it took over operations from UMEME, bringing the total number of customers on the national grid to 2,430,489.
UEDCL Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa made the revelation on Tuesday, September 16, 2025, while addressing the State House Investors’ Protection Unit (SHIPU) weekly forum, which convenes chief executives of government agencies to review achievements and challenges.
According to Mr Mwesigwa, the number of grid-connected households grew from 1,687,267 to 2,327,898 within the same period, while the grid length expanded from 3,431km to 5,140km. Uganda’s total installed generation capacity has also increased from 1,362 megawatts to 2,049 megawatts.
He further noted that energy losses dropped from 19.1% to 16.8% since April, attributing the gains to government’s bold decision to repossess electricity distribution from private concessionaires. “That is a fundamental achievement; in that regard, the government has actually scored very well,” Mwesigwa said.
Mwesigwa commended the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets Authority (PPDA) for accrediting UEDCL, saying it has significantly improved the speed of new power connections.
The SHIPU forum, chaired by Uganda Development Corporation Executive Director Patrick Birungi, also featured leaders including PPDA boss Benson Turamye, Prof. Bruce Kirenga of Makerere College of Health Sciences, and representatives from the Uganda Energy Credit Capitalisation Company (UECCC), Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), and Uganda Development Forum.
UECCC’s Desmond Tutu Opio shared that the agency has mobilised over USD 110 million to expand access to renewable energy, deploying more than Shs134 billion in subsidies for solar equipment in partnership with 27 financial institutions and 87 energy firms.
Their interventions, he said, have enabled the agency to deliver over 306,000 home systems, 20,200 solar lanterns, and 1,190 solar-powered water pumps, among other innovations.
Meanwhile, PPDA’s Turamye pointed out vandalism as a persistent setback to rural power access, while URSB’s Kule Walid praised UEDCL’s swift takeover, urging that such success stories be amplified across mass media.
Chairing the session, Birungi said government agencies must intensify dissemination of achievements through TV, radio, print, and digital platforms. He revealed that UDC will feature on NBS TV’s economic forum later this month, and on NTV’s economic summit in October, alongside planned collaborations with New Vision and UBC.
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