The Deputy Speaker, Thomas Tayebwa has said that unreliable and expensive electricity which has limited opportunities for businesses, schools, health facilities and households around the country.
Tayebwa made these remarks as he officiated at the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of Ncwera Mini Hydro-Power Project in Ruhinda North County, Mitooma District.
The construction of the project falls under the auspices of the Electricity Access Scale up Project being implemented by the Uganda Energy Credit Capitalisation Company (UECCC), and will be funded under the ORIO Infrastructure Fund of the Netherlands.
Tayebwa, who doubles as the area representative said that the project will not only light homes but open up other opportunities.
“Farmers will be able to process their produce efficiently, small businesses will thrive, and our children will have better opportunities to study,” Tayebwa said.
He commended the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for taking key energy infrastructure to communities, and called for continued collaboration to extend such initiatives to other areas in need.
The Minister for Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Ruth Nankabirwa said the project is in line with the presidential directive of providing affordable energy to support industrialisation that can spur socio-economic development.
“I am pleased to note that in the agreement that was signed, the tariff is 5.3 US cents per unit, which is good. We have been trying to reduce the cost of electricity and since hydropower is the cleanest source of energy, it is the cheapest,” Nankabirwa said.
Mitooma District Woman Representative, Hon. Juliet Agasha called on the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development to improve on the electricity infrastructure in the district.
“We have two sub-counties that have electricity poles without electricity wires, which means people there do not have access to electricity. There has also been a lot of load shedding in the district, which has affected many businesses,” Agasha said.
The Deputy Ambassador of Netherlands to Uganda, H.E. Joost Van Ettro commended Uganda for being a reliable partner with private investors who have supported the socio-economic and industrial development.
“With a growing need for energy in rural areas that have limited access to the grid network, we believe that these mini-hydropower plants will service communities and spur economic development through industrialisation, which will in turn increase employment and opportunities for the growing population,” said Van Ettro.
The Managing Director of UECCC, Roy Nyamutale Baguma said that besides Mitooma District, the ORIO Mini Hydropower Project will implement eight other projects in six districts including Bushenyi, Kasese, Bundibugyo, Kabarole, Bunyangabo and Hoima.
He added that all the nine mini hydropower sites, after completion, will generate a combined capacity of 6.7 megawatts and a distribution network of 288Km as a single project for rural electrification.
“The project sites are located in hard-to-reach areas with challenging topography and geophysical conditions, which makes it inefficient to wheel power over long distances to such very hard to reach places,” said Baguma.
He noted that the construction of the Ncwera project is expected to be completed within one year, and is designed to respond to government policies like the National Development Plan (NDPIV), Vision 2040 and Sustainable Development Plan 7.
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Parliament of the Republic of Uganda.
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