Ugandans are being urged to take advantage of the enhanced electricity availability for productive and value-adding activities.
Sidronius Opolot Okaasai, the state minister for energy, claims that Uganda now has a power generating capacity of 1,600 MW and that it will reach 2,000 MW by the end of the year when the 600 MW Karuma Hydro Power Project is put into service.
During the Power & Elec Uganda Exhibition 2023 opening on Thursday at the Uganda Manufacturers Association Showground in Lugogo, Kampala, the minister made the call.
Professionals in the field of power and electricity, as well as importers, exporters, wholesalers, and decision-makers from East Africa, attended the event.
The show, which took place from July 13 to July 15, 2023, attracted exhibitors from several nations who were interested in learning more about the unexplored market in East Africa.
The minister asked manufacturers and suppliers of equipment for the power industry to concentrate on creating reliable, safe, and efficient products.
He claimed that Uganda’s per capita energy usage was still relatively low and needed to be raised. According to Okaasai, household consumers are Uganda’s biggest power consumers, followed by industries.
According to the minister, there are prospects for the private sector to participate in Uganda’s energy industry.
“By 2025, we want all people to have access to power. We intend to produce 52,000MW by 2040, according to Okaasai.
Upender Singh Rawat, the Indian High Commissioner to Uganda, declared during the event’s opening that India was a significant partner and investor in Uganda.
India can help Uganda since it possesses knowledge, resources, and expertise in the energy sector. Energy is crucial for the nation’s expansion and prosperity, according to Rawat.
According to Uganda Solar Energy Association CEO Robinah Nanyunja, their group supports the usage and growth of solar energy in Uganda.
“Uganda’s solar industry is underutilized. It must be given the space to grow. We support both gender equality and sustainable energy, Nanyunja remarked.
The chairman of the Nest Electrical Contractor Association, Augustine Wamala Kakinda, stated that the organization’s members are certified wire-persons by the Electricity Regulatory Authority.
“India can help Uganda since it possesses expertise, resources, and technical and financial capacity in the energy sector. The nation’s prosperity and progress depend on energy, according to Rawat.
According to Robinah Nanyunja, chief executive officer of the Uganda Solar Energy Association, her company supports the usage and growth of solar energy in Uganda.
“Uganda uses its solar potential insufficiently. Building the capacity is necessary. According to Nanyunja, we support gender equality and sustainable energy.
Electricity Regulatory Authority certified wire-persons are members of their association, according to Augustine Wamala Kakinda, head of the Nest Electrical Contractor Association.
According to Kakinda, their members are ready to cooperate with the government to provide Ugandans with quality wiring services by creating uniform bills of quantities for wiring services.
In order to hasten the wiring of buildings leading to connections to the national power grid, we kindly ask the Uganda electricity distribution firms to accept us, Kakinda added.
The Uganda Manufacturers Association, Exhibitions & Trade Services India Private Ltd (ETSIPL), a company based in Navi Mumbai, India, and the energy ministry jointly planned the event.
