Business & MarketsCEO PerspectivesThe Big Story

Q&A: Energy and Minerals PS, Irene Batebe talks about a post-Umeme energy sector and why government is making a big switch from private capital In 2001, Uganda entered into what was termed the first sector power generation institutional reforms that led to the unbundling of the Uganda Electricity Board (UEB), and a new creation of the three distinct companies in generation, transmission and distribution through the Electricity Act at the time.  The Electricity Regulatory Authority was also put in place. As part of the reforms, the government concessioned a number of its electricity assets such as the Kira-Nalubaale hydropower plants to South Africa's Eskom and the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) assets to Umeme Limited. 20 years after the expiry of the concessions, Ministry of Energy officials are back to the drawing board to chart a way forward for the next 20 years.

Central to these discussions are Uganda’s plans to wean herself off from being over-dependent on private foreign companies in managing the electricity sub-sector. In this case, a post-Umeme/Eskom- concession management strategy has been developed that seeks to guide the Ministry of Energy on the way forward. The CEO East Africa Magazine’s Paul Murungi sat down with Ms Irene Pauline Batebe, the  Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, in a wide-ranging interview that sought to explore Uganda’s electricity ambitions for the next 20 years.   20 years ago, the government leased out power concessions to Eskom and Umeme….

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About the Author

Muhereza Kyamutetera is the Executive Editor of CEO East Africa Magazine. I am a travel enthusiast and the Experiences & Destinations Marketing Manager at EDXTravel. Extremely Ugandaholic. Ask me about #1000Reasons2ExploreUganda and how to Take Your Place In The African Sun.