Museveni Unveils West Nile Grid Connection
On Saturday, August 3, 2024, President Yoweri Museveni officially launched the Nebbi substation, a milestone that has connected the West Nile sub-region to Uganda’s high voltage national grid. The event, which took place at precisely 11:52 am, was met with considerable excitement from various dignitaries.
In his speech following the commissioning, President Museveni addressed criticisms that the West Nile region had been neglected. He stated, “The argument that has been pushed by some people that we forgot about West Nile region is wrong. They were being pushed by unserious and disruptive people.”
The ceremony was attended by Vice President Jessica Alupo, Second Deputy Prime Minister Gen. Moses Ali, Energy and Mineral Development Minister Ruth Nankabirwa, as well as other former and current ministers, permanent secretaries, heads of government agencies, and World Bank officials.
Geofrey Feta, the chairperson of the West Nile Parliamentary Caucus and Ayivu East Member of Parliament in Arua City, hailed the event as “a fundamental change in the history of West Nile with the stable and industrially reliable electricity.”
Feta acknowledged the significant pressure from the West Nile residents, noting that it had been substantial. In her remarks, Minister Nankabirwa recalled the intense demand from the West Nile population, stating, “We had to mobilize resources to have this power utilized by the end-users.” She also humorously mentioned that she had once told the people of West Nile that “power doesn’t move on boda bodas.”
This development marks the end of a 110-year period during which West Nile was largely in the dark. The new connection to the national grid is expected to significantly boost the region’s energy and economic prospects. The commissioning of the Kole-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua transmission line is a historic achievement, symbolizing a major advancement in the region’s development.
