Government loses Shs2bn to electricity infrastructure vandals
The trend of vandalism against the electricity transmission infrastructure has been on the rise in recent weeks. In September, UETCL reported that it was registering a tower being vandalized every week.
Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) will spend over Shs1 billion to replace the five newly vandalized transmission towers running from the Jinja-based 180MW Nalubale and 200MW Kira Hydropower Plants.
Other towers vandalized include the 132kV Owen Falls-Lugogo Transmission Line vandalized at Kivuvu village in Mukono district; this led to four towers falling on the ground on Saturday, November 12 at 00:36 hours.
According to the State Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Okaasai Sidronius Opolot, the scale and scope of vandalism have intensified into a systematic and well-coordinated organized crime syndicate, with a magnitude that affects completed lines and ongoing projects.
“The rampant vandalism of electricity infrastructure remains a major impediment to delivering quality and reliable power supply, especially to critical sectors such as Health and Manufacturing.
It equally increases power project development costs, frustrates efforts to expand the Grid and accelerate access to electricity services for all Ugandans, and has overall effects on the Economy,” he said.
Opolot explained that as a remedial action, the government has resorted to commence power load-shedding of about 104MW, which started on Sunday 13, 2022.
In addition to this, the 220kV Bujagali-Kawanda evacuation line is temporarily being used to partly evacuate Nalubale and Kira power plants, alongside Bujagali and Isimba power plants as well as 50MW Namanve Thermal Power Plant, which is always on standby for emergencies has been switched on.
Opolot confirmed that UETCL is constructing temporary structures, to restore the faulted transmission lines which are estimated to be completed by November 18, 2022.
“Through the Electricity (Amendment) Act 2022, the Government has placed more stringent penalties for vandalism-related offences. The law prescribes a 12-year jail sentence, or a fine of 50,000 Currency Points (Ush.1 billion) or both for a vandal or anyone who receives vandalized electricity materials, and 15 years of imprisonment or 100,000 Currency Points (Ush.2 billion) or both for repeated violations,” he noted.
Among other measures to curb the vice, Opolot highlighted that the Ministry established a Multi-Sectoral Security Coordination Committee comprising MEMD and its Agencies; the Ministries of Defence and Veterans Affairs; Trade, Industry and Cooperatives; and Internal Affairs.
The committee will also comprise of Uganda Police Force and sister security agencies, Spearheaded by MEMD, to review progress made in implementing anti-vandalism measures that include, among others, an operation led by the Police and awareness of communities.
The trend of vandalism against the electricity transmission infrastructure has been on the rise in recent weeks. In September, UETCL reported that it was registering a tower being vandalized every week.
Last year, the government confirmed the loss of over Shs260 billion due to vandalism of electricity infrastructures.
