Residents of Kizito and Kalongo zones in Luweero Town Council, Luweero District, have appealed to Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) to urgently restore electricity after enduring nearly two months without power.
The prolonged blackout has disrupted businesses, affected daily life, and increased insecurity in the area, with residents reporting rising cases of theft and financial losses.
According to residents, the problem began in April when electricity went off for almost the entire month. They later reported the matter to UEDCL and were informed that their transformer had failed.
Although a replacement transformer was installed, electricity was restored for only three days before going off again.
Nathan Lumu, an area councillor, expressed frustration, saying residents were disappointed by the short-lived solution.
“It’s as if the transformer they brought was old and just painted. We thought it was new, but we were disappointed when it only worked for three days,” Lumu said.
Business owners say the outage has left them struggling to survive. Jalia Nalumansi, an ice cream seller, explained that her business depends entirely on electricity and she has suffered heavy financial losses.
“This machine entirely works on electricity, and when it is off, I cannot work. I have been down for almost two months. We need help,” Nalumansi said.
She added that she borrowed Shs 3 million from money lenders to expand her business, but she is now unable to repay the loan because her operations have stalled.
“Money lenders come here almost daily. I have been forced to leave home very early and hide the items I used as collateral because I don’t want to lose them, hoping power will return and solve the issue,” she added.
Other affected businesses include salons, barber shops, phone charging points, and vendors dealing in perishable goods such as milk, bananas, and passion fruit juice.
Luweero Town Council Mayor-Elect Paul Mukungu said many residents are surviving under difficult conditions due to the blackout.
“We have barbers, shop attendants, salon operators among others suffering heavily. Without power, they cannot earn a living. We heard there was a leadership change, and we hope for better services,” Mukungu said.
Luweero District Chairperson Erasto Kibirango has pledged to follow up on the matter and ensure residents are not neglected.
“I am going to request UEDCL to give Kizito and Kalongo special attention to ensure that the power issue is resolved once and for all,” Kibirango said.
When contacted via their official X account, UEDCL confirmed they are aware of the issue and are working to resolve it.
“Our sincere apologies for the delays. The issue has been escalated to our area team. Let us follow through and ensure resolution,” the company stated.