ALICE K
Officials from the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) have vowed to intensify the crackdown on vandalism and unauthorized electricity connections, warning that culprits will face severe legal consequences.
Speaking during a media engagement held on Tuesday evening at Night Rose Hotel in Fort Portal City, organized by the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), Eng. Tobby Opio, the Senior Engineer for UEDCL Rwenzori Territory, said the company is grappling with increasing cases of vandalism that are causing widespread power outages and financial losses.
Opio stressed that vandalism of electricity infrastructure is a serious criminal offence punishable under Ugandan law. He noted that offenders risk facing penalties of up to one billion shillings in fines or life imprisonment, as the crime is treated with utmost seriousness due to its impact on national development and public safety.
He revealed that the company is facing multiple challenges, including outages triggered by poor coordination with sister companies and rampant unauthorized operations within the electricity network.
“The dilapidated state of parts of our network is a major contributor to the high failure rate of transformers,” Opio explained. “Our transformers are failing at an alarming rate, largely due to illegal connections and overloading.”
He added that some power interruptions are caused by works undertaken by other utility service providers without proper coordination with UEDCL, a situation he described as unacceptable.
The frequent outages have significantly affected businesses and households across Fort Portal City and the greater Rwenzori region, disrupting economic activities and daily life.
UEDCL officials emphasized that they will not hesitate to take stern action against individuals involved in vandalism, illegal connections, and tampering with transformers. The company called upon the public to report suspicious activities and work together to protect critical electricity infrastructure.
“We are committed to safeguarding our network and ensuring reliable power supply to our customers,” Opio said.
The company urged communities to support efforts aimed at curbing vandalism, noting that protecting electricity infrastructure is a shared responsibility vital for sustainable development.