A report by the Equal Opportunities Commission (EOC) in regards to compliance with gender and equity requirements shows that the Sustainable Energy Development budgeting doesn’t benefit ordinary people as many sub counties still languish in darkness yet the country generates excess power.
The report tabled before the Budget Committee of parliament shows that by the end of the first quarter of 2020, Uganda’s electricity transmission had grown by 13% to the current footprint of 2,989Kms with a total 152,482 households connected to the grid under the Rural Electrification Agency.
However, following the government plan to scrap the programme, EOC warns that may people will be left in the dark without hope of connecting to power.
“If power is the main driver for development, then we want to see power get to every homestead in every sub country, but as we speak some of the sub counties are not on the national grid,” said Irene Nafungo, the acting head of Compliance and Enforcement at the Equal Opportunities Commission.
Under the 2021/2022 gender and equity responsive budgeting assessment report, sectors are supposed to score above 50%.
The Sustainable Energy Development sector scored 57% which is marginally above the threshold.
“In their budgeting there is nothing like connecting even the small businesses on the available grid. Yes they passed and a certificate was given to them but their performance is still wanting,” Nafungo said.
The commission advised the energy sector to revise their budgeting and find means of developing a transmission plan which will have every sub county lit by the end of the coming financial year.
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