900 to get free electricity in Gulu and Kitgum

More than 900 people in Gulu and Kitgum districts are to benefit from the free electricity connection policy. The policy under the Rural Electrification Agency –REA started two years ago but was halted in March last year due to the outbreak of COVID -19.

Doreen Ogenga, the Operations Manager of UMEME in Gulu and Kitgum says free electricity connection in Acholi Sub –Region resumed in March this year and 960 people shall benefit from it.

According to Ogenga, several people had applied for the connections before it was halted but that priority shall be given to those whose connections do not require electricity poles.

However, Ogenga discloses that the applicants will be required to pay a small fee of 720,000 Shillings.

She says those who will not benefit from the program but want electricity connections can apply for connection under the Customer Funded Connection where they will be required to pay Shs.2.4m for bare conductor connection and Shs.2.7m for insulated conductor connection.

Jonan Kiiza, the Head of Communications at Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited revealed that the government procured 2,000 metres under the free electricity connection policy and that they are undergoing quality test for certification at Uganda National Bureau of Standards and that more meters shall be procured.

The electricity connection policy was developed by the government to address the challenges of low connection rates and aims to achieve a 60 percent level of access to electricity for Uganda by 2027. It was approved by Cabinet in January 2018 and rolled out in November that same year.