UEDCL Marks 100 Days Since Taking Over Power Distribution from UMEME

Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has marked 100 days since it officially took over the power distribution mandate from UMEME.

While addressing journalists at the Uganda Media Centre on Wednesday, UEDCL Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa provided an update on the company’s progress since assuming control on April 1, 2025.

Mwesigwa revealed that, in line with the concession agreement, UEDCL has fully absorbed all UMEME staff who qualified for positions in the new structure.

“Our structure is now 96% populated, with 2,601 employees already in place,” he said. “The remaining 4% of positions are in the process of being filled through external recruitment.”

On pending customer connections, Mwesigwa disclosed that UEDCL inherited a backlog of 127,000 pending connections. To address this, the company has deployed materials countrywide and subcontracted special teams of new connection technicians.

“So far, we have added 550 employees specifically to support the connection effort,” he said. “Given the scale of the task, we plan to recruit an additional 400 staff by the end of July. In total, we expect our workforce to grow to over 3,600 employees to manage the distribution sector, implement World Bank and Electricity Sector Performance (ESP) projects, and clear the connection backlog.”

Regarding billing, Mwesigwa assured the public that the transition has not disrupted customer services.

“There have been no material billing issues during these 100 days. The network remains stable and connected to banking systems. Our year-to-date cash collection from postpaid customers stands at 104%,” he noted.

At the time of the handover, UEDCL had 116 transformers in place. Mwesigwa said the company is working to install over 518 transformers to improve supply reliability.

“Our goal is to ensure a stable power supply with consistent voltage for all consumers,” he emphasized.

As UEDCL transitions from its initial 100-day plan into the next phase, the focus will shift to long-term network management and maintenance.

“We will continue announcing planned outages for maintenance purposes to ensure better service delivery,” Mwesigwa added.

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He also raised concerns over increasing cases of vandalism, urging the public to remain vigilant and report criminal activity.

He warned that the offenders will be arrested and prosecuted.

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