Kabale in the Dark: Power Outages Cripple Businesses and Anger Residents
Kabale town is shrouded in darkness, and its residents are furious. Unrelenting power outages have crippled businesses and left everyone in the lurch.
Local businesses are bearing the brunt of the blackouts. Kimonge Conrad Tumuhairwe, a resident, says his livelihood depends on electricity, and the constant cuts are killing his trade.
The situation is so bad, that residents have dubbed the unreliable power supply "disco lights." Mastiko Aggrey, another resident, scoffs at the idea of Kabale becoming industrialized when they can't even keep the lights on consistently.
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Aggrey adds insult to injury by pointing out the irony of power lines carrying electricity to neighbouring Rwanda, while Kabale itself is constantly in the dark.
The finger of blame points to UMEME, the power company. They claim overgrown trees are the culprit, with tree farmers accidentally damaging power lines during harvests.
Residents are demanding a solution. UMEME needs to find a way to ensure a stable power supply in Kabale, or businesses will continue to suffer and frustration will boil over.
