Nankabirwa urges citizens to fight electricity equipment vandals

The people in Northern Uganda have been called to become vigilant, and protect the electricity equipment installed in the region.

According to the Minister of Energy, Ruth Nankabirwa, the country has spent Shs3 billion to repair  stolen or broken electricity equipment.

Nankanbirwa, who was unveiling a new office for the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) in Gulu City, said vigilant communities will help the government to fasten the process of connecting all villages to the national grid and spur the economic development starting from the rural areas to the town centers across the country,

"You take down one pylon, the other pylons in the entire line are destroyed as well," she said.

This follows consistent complaints from the public about the unreliable electricity supply across northern Uganda.

"And here we emphasise commercialisation of agriculture and having small scale industries, how can we have small scale industries without stable sufficent electricity supply," said Betty Aol, Woman MP Gulu Dity.

The new ERA office will serve the areas of Acholi, Lango and parts of Karamoja.

"We are focusing on affordability, reliability and growth in electricity demand so that our people access electricity," Sarah Wasagali Kanaabi, chairperson of the board of ERA, said.