West Nile Region has no capacity to utilize HEP – Museveni.

West Nile Region has no capacity to utilize HEP – Museveni.

By Robert Ariaka Yiti.

Arua. September 14, 2012.

President Museveni has said, the demand for Hydro Electric power in west Nile region is still low and it was useless to connect the region to national grid.

He made the statement while commissioning the long awaited 3.5mw Nyagak HEP on Friday.

“If we connect West Nile to the national grid, power will be leaking and that will be wastage of power” he said.

According to Museveni when the power demand in the region increases, that will be the right time to connect the people to national grid of power.

The long awaited Nyagak which is expected to generate 3.5mw of power was switched on but out of the 3.5mw, Museveni only switched on one of the two machines which will generate only 1.7mw saying if the second machine of 1.8mw is switched on, it will burn the connecting wires and power will be wasted.

“If a switch on the two machines each producing 1.75mw, there will be no one to use the power because the demand in west Nile is only 1.6mw which can help for now and the other machine is still idle” the president said.

Before, Agakan Company had problems in constructing the power which made the Power construction at Nyagak to delay from 2006 to September 14, 2012 when it was finally commissioned.

Uganda government and the German government had to inject funds to complete the construction at a tune of 12million dollars.

The 3.5mw of power is initially expected to supply the entire West Nile region with eight districts of Zombo, Nebbi Arua, Adjumani, Moyo, Koboko, Maracha and Yumbe. But according to the Museveni, the two districts of Adjumani and Moyo will be connected to the national grid from Gulu side and Nyagak will only supply the remaining six districts.

Museveni said this power will only be used for lighting, running small machines, and refrigerators and cannot be used for running heavy industries and factories.

The minister for energy Irene Muloni said West Nile region has for long been suffocated with diesel generators which would cause constant power blackout.

The German Envoy to Uganda Mahmoud said the power commissioning is timely to boost economic transformation for the people of the region. This will also help the people to access technology easily since power is the source of development, he said.

Currently nyagak HEP is only supplying power to the three districts of Zombo, Nebbi with about 1500 consumers and Arua with about 3100 consumers and a stand by 1000 consumers are waiting to be connected as the remaining districts have remained in total darkness. 

The statement of the President saying West Nile region has no capacity to desire national grid power did not please the opposition Member of Parliament for Ayivu Bernard Atiku who said this power should have been a good opportunity for factories like Nile form to produce mattress, Ayuda coffee factory and Adriko Factory plus the ginnery in Rhino Camp to utilize the power.

He said president’s statement which is watering down the demand of people of West Nile to utilize adequate electricity is not favoring us since we need factories and big investments to develop the region.

“We have learnt that, the 3.5mw Nyagak is going to be taken to DRC but they have not informed us and Wenreco should stand warned that, this power is not crossing to any foreign country less we will take measures” the strong FDC man said.

Atiku said, wenreco should begin subsidizing the prices of electric poles and reduce on the electric charges and cut out the adjustment rate factor or else we will petition ministry of energy to solve the issue of the additional costs.
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