Mr President, Please Consider Bringing Back UMEME and UNRA

As it is always said, the goodness of someone will not be felt until that person disappears. Mr President, that is what we are now feeling after the departure of UMEME from managing Uganda’s electricity power.

At first, Ugandans hated UMEME due to its own mistakes that the supplier had committed against customers, but that should have been rectified compared to what is taking place with UEDCL.

Two weeks ago, I wanted six poles for power to reach my village home, but I was told to pay Shs 3.5 million for each pole, yet the distance from the main power line to my village centre would take about 11 poles, meaning I have to pay Shs 38,500,000. Yet this is a service which should be free, given the fact that someone has to be paying for Yaka units.

I have always been told there is free power connection under rural electricity distribution, but these services seem to be in isolated areas. It is only passing on the highways, but going deep into the upcoming trading centres in villages, it has not covered them.

UMEME should have been allowed to polish UEDCL operations well before its contract was terminated.

The current situation Ugandans are going through with UEDCL operations is the same Ugandans are going through with the merging of UNRA into the Ministry of Works. When you look at the current roads under the ministry, they have turned into condolence roads.

Those days, UNRA could manage road maintenance and repair broken culverts. As we speak right now, many culverts are broken in Karamoja, Teso and Northern Uganda, but no single work has commenced.

I am just humble enough to request the President to reinstate UMEME and UNRA and direct them to be under the supervision of our next leader, Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, so that they are monitored closely to avoid making past mistakes.

With Gen Muhoozi, things will move very well. All those companies were too reluctant because they were not under close monitoring, as is the case with the UPDF Engineering Brigade, which is currently doing a commendable job.

This will help make Ugandans appreciate services rendered by this government. END.

The writer is the senior veteran journalist.