By Leilah Bbaale
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa, has urged Ugandans to utilise the abundant power available to promote value addition, starting from the village level.
This is after the government confirmed the commissioning of the 600 MW Karuma Hydro Power Project on Thursday in Kiryandongo District.
Construction of the dam began on December 16, 2013, at a cost of US$1.7 billion. According to Minister Nankabirwa, each addition to the national grid brings hope that more villages will soon be connected.
“We promised Ugandans to continue generating power for their use to enhance value addition. Every time that we add on to power, we instill hope into Ugandans that they will finally see their villages being lit,” Nankabirwa said.
She also emphasized the importance of safeguarding this infrastructure.
In October 2023, the government launched the Energy Policy 2023, aimed at increasing access to electricity for households, refugee and host communities, industrial parks, commercial enterprises, and public institutions. This initiative is intended to drive socio-economic transformation in line with Uganda’s Vision 2040.
