The Minister of State for Energy, Opolot Okaasai has warned that anyone convicted of vandalizing electricity infrastructure will suffer a penalty of up to 2 billion shillings or face a 15 year jail term.
Okaasai told reporters in Kampala on Tuesday that the punishment also applies to anyone who receives or buys vandalised electricity materials.
“The Ministry shall heighten collaboration with Security Agencies to investigate, arrest, and prosecute vandals before the courts of law. Through the Electricity (Amendment) Act 2022, the Government has placed more stringent penalties for vandalism-related offences. The law prescribes a 12-year jail sentence, or a fine of 50,000 Currency Points (Ush. 1 billion) or both for a vandal or anyone who receives vandalised electricity materials, and 15 years of imprisonment or 100,000 Currency Points (Ush. 2 billion) or both for repeated violations,” he said.
It is worth noting the vandalism of the electricity infrastructure is on the rise. The scale and scope of the vice have intensified into a systematic and well coordinated organised crime syndicate.
This, Okaasai said, has had adverse effects on completed lines and ongoing projects.
Over the weekend, two 132kV transmission lines from the Jinja-based 180MW Nalubale and 200MW Kira Hydropower Plants were vandalised, leading to extensive power blackouts in Central and Western Uganda.
The 132kV Owen Falls-Lugogo Transmission Line was vandalised at Kivuvu village in Mukono district, leading to four towers falling on the ground on Saturday.
Subsequently, the Owen Falls-Mukono North-Mulago Transmission Line was also vandalised at Nasuuti village in Mukono district, leading to one tower falling on the ground on Sunday.
The rampant vandalism of electricity infrastructure remains a major impediment to delivering quality and reliable power supply, especially to critical sectors such as Health and Manufacturing.
It equally increases power project development costs, frustrates efforts to expand the Grid and accelerate access to electricity services for all Ugandans, and has overall effects on the Economy.
According to the Minister, over 2 billion shillings is spent annually to replace vandalised power lines, on average.
“Replacing the five newly vandalised transmission towers will cost Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) over 1 billion shillings (over 200 million shillings each),” said Okaasai.
Because of the recent vandalised infrastructure, Okaasai said the sector has been forced to commence power load-shedding of about 104MW, effective Sunday, November 13, 2022.
He added that the 220kV Bujagali-Kawanda evacuation line is temporarily being used to partly evacuate Nalubale and Kira power plants alongside Bujagali and Isimba power plants, and switched on the expensive 50MW Namanve Thermal Power Plant, which is always on standby for emergencies.
The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), Okaasai said, is constructing temporary structures to restore the faulted transmission lines – which are estimated to be completed by November 18, 2022.
The Energy Ministry has established a Multi-Sectoral Security Coordination Committee comprising the Ministry and its Agencies; the Ministries of Defence and Veterans Affairs; Trade, Industry and Cooperatives; and Internal Affairs; the Uganda Police Force and sister security agencies.
The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Cooperatives has been tasked to make regulations for the scrap industry following investigation reports that vandalised electricity materials are traded to scrap dealers.
RDCs and RCCs in the most hit districts and cities have been put a on high alert. These include Mukono, Kayunga, Buikwe, Jinja, Kamuli, Iganga, Mayuge, Bugiri, Busia, Tororo, Mbale, Soroti, Lira, Oyam, Kole, Kiryandongo, Luwero, Mpigi, Masaka, Kyotera, Mbarara, Bushenyi, Kiruhura, Kazo, Isingiro, Ntungamo, Kasese, and Busia.