- Kalangala Infrastructure Services has revealed that the government has not determined the power tariffs.
- The 7km submarine power cable at the bottom of Lake Victoria is to supply 33 kilovolts of power to the sub-counties of Buggala and Bugoma.
Ugandan power supplier, Kalangala Infrastructure Services (KIS) has revealed that the government has not determined the power tariffs for the operation of the submarine power cable. This concerns the submarine power cable at the bottom of Lake Victoria, which connects Kalangala Island to the mainland via Bukakata in Masaka District. KIS said the delay in determining the tariffs has stalled the commissioning of the project.
Also, Joseph Mulindwa, the KIS spokesperson, said, “The laying of the submarine power cable is complete, but the power regulator (ERA) is not yet through with the setting of the new tariffs. The 7km submarine power cable at the bottom of Lake Victoria will supply 33 kilovolts of power to the sub-counties of Buggala and Bugoma.” According to the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, more than 33,000 households, including industries, are set to benefit from the project.
KIS hopes that the flat tariff structure, where domestic and commercial customers have been charged at a fixed price per kilowatt consumed, could see a shift in power usage if the tariffs are low. Furthermore, in Kalangala, the electricity consumers experience a five-hour load shedding between 12 am and 5 am daily. However, stakeholders are optimistic that the submarine power cable will provide a better and more stable power supply. Rajab Ssemakula, the Kalangala LC5 chairperson, said residents and investors hope for business and home-user-friendly tariffs.