61
The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has taken a major step to support the country’s manufacturing sector by opening a new office dedicated to handling electricity matters for manufacturers. The office, which is located at the Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) showgrounds in Lugogo, Kampala, was officially opened on Wednesday by the State Minister for Energy, Mr. Okaasai Opolot.
The launch was part of a dialogue session between the utility company and manufacturers, where stakeholders discussed challenges faced by industries and ways to improve electricity supply and service delivery.
Speaking at the event, Minister Okaasai described manufacturers as the most important electricity consumers whose needs must be handled with special attention. He pointed out that the manufacturing sector is not only central to Uganda’s economic growth but also one of the biggest contributors to government revenue and job creation.
According to him, the sector currently contributes about 16 percent to Uganda’s gross domestic product (GDP) and provides at least two million jobs across the country. Beyond employment, the manufacturing industry is also responsible for about 30 percent of Uganda’s total tax revenue, making it a key player in national development.
Minister Okaasai further highlighted that manufacturers consume about 70 percent of the electricity generated in Uganda, making them the single largest consumer of energy in the country. He stressed that a reliable and affordable power supply is not just a matter of convenience but a critical necessity for Uganda’s industrialisation agenda.
“Crucially, it is also the single largest consumer of electricity in the country, utilising about 70% of national electricity output. This inherent linkage underscores why a reliable and affordable electricity supply is not merely a convenience but a strategic imperative for our industrial progress,” he said.
The new office, which will directly serve manufacturers, is expected to make it easier for industrial players to report issues, connect to the grid, and resolve complaints faster. This move is seen as a way of strengthening trust and building a closer working relationship between the electricity distributor and the industrial sector.
Mr. Aga Sekalala Jr., the board chairperson of the Uganda Manufacturers Association, welcomed the development and praised UEDCL for recognising the challenges faced by manufacturers. He said that in the past, manufacturers had to go through long processes, contacting individual customer service representatives who then had to reach different offices within the utility company before issues were addressed.
“The idea is to make connectivity and complaint solving easier and convenient. In the past, we have been liaising with our individual customer relations people, who also had to contact people from various offices. This office will make it more centralised,” Mr. Sekalala explained.
He added that the new system would cut down on delays and help industries save time and money, especially since electricity is at the heart of production processes. For many years, Ugandan manufacturers have complained about high electricity tariffs, unstable supply, and delays in handling technical faults. With this initiative, expectations are high that some of these problems will be addressed more efficiently.
Industry experts note that Uganda has been working to increase electricity generation, especially through new hydropower projects like the Isimba and Karuma dams. However, challenges in distribution, transmission, and customer service have continued to affect the confidence of industrial players. The establishment of the new UEDCL office is therefore seen as an important signal that the government and utility providers are ready to engage directly with manufacturers to improve service delivery.
The move also comes at a time when Uganda is pushing for industrialisation as part of its Vision 2040 agenda, which seeks to transform the country into a modern and competitive economy. Access to stable and affordable electricity remains a critical part of this vision, and stakeholders believe that initiatives like this will make Uganda more attractive for investors in the manufacturing space.
With manufacturers now consuming the majority of the country’s power output, experts argue that targeted solutions such as this office will help to address sector-specific concerns while also improving efficiency in the wider energy supply chain.
The UEDCL office at UMA is expected to operate as a one-stop centre, handling everything from new connections, technical complaints, billing issues, to customer support. If successful, the model could be replicated in other industrial zones across Uganda to further strengthen the energy-manufacturing link that drives the economy.
