Power utility company Umeme has released a statement refuting media reports that it imported poles from South Africa.
“Our attention has been drawn to a story aired on NTVU on Sunday suggesting Umeme, Uganda’s leading power distributor, imports utility poles from South Africa. We would like to clarify and affirm that Umeme sources all its poles from local Ugandan certified pole treatment plants,” Umeme says in the statement by management.
On who supplies them the poles, Umeme said: “We utilise on average 90,000 treated poles per annum from wood or concrete. The certified pole treatment plants, our primary suppliers, source their poles from the tree plantation owners at terms amicably agreed between themselves.”
“In our drive to conserve the environment, we have adopted other pole technologies including Concrete poles with a longer lifespan. Umeme remains committed to promoting Government’s local content policy through Buy Uganda Build Uganda policy,” the utility adds.
Below is the full statement by management
