UMEME Limited has earmarked over 12 billion Shillings to revamp electricity power lines within Bugisu sub region in a move to upgrade the power supply.
According to Umeme Management, the investment will cover three lines that serve the Bugisu area namely Iki-Iki to Kibuku Line, Mbale town towards Tororo, Mbale to Bubulo and Bubulo to Bududa which have over 30,000 customers.
The plan also includes upgrading most of the low voltage transformers and sensitive areas like Bududa hospital and other trading centers to meet the electricity power demands within the areas where works will be done.
According to Robert Mubiru, the Programs Execution Manager at Umeme Limited, the refurbishment of the lines will start next month, to be completed by November and they are going to renew most of the lines which have become weak leading to continuous power outages.
Peter Kauju, the Umeme head of communications said that this development will control energy losses that the company incurs due to unstable power supply.
Kauju said that the company is continuing to improve the investments on the network so that people can have reliable power. He also revealed that the energy losses in the Mbale region stand at 25 percent.
The Manafwa district Woman Member of Parliament who also doubles as the Minister for Karamoja Affairs Mary Goretti Kitutu said that Bugisu is prone to power theft but the company has through sensitization managed to reduce on the theft which has also reduced on deaths caused by power theft and illegal connectivity.
She welcomed the initiative saying that people need stable power to increase on their productivity and that it will also facilitate the smooth flow of the Parish Development Model.
A similar amount of money has also been earmarked for revamping the power lines in Busoga sub-region.
-URN
