Jun 08, 2026 (Nile Post/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
Uganda has been plunged into widespread darkness following a nationwide power outage that disrupted electricity supply across the country, authorities have confirmed.
In a public notice issued on Friday night, the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (UEDCL) announced that the blackout was triggered by a failure in the national power grid, as reported by the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), the country's bulk power supplier.
"Our power supplier, UETCL, has notified us of a nationwide grid outage affecting electricity supply," UEDCL said in a statement addressed to customers.
The unexpected outage left homes, businesses, hospitals and critical infrastructure without electricity, raising concerns over economic losses and public safety. Major towns and cities, including Kampala, Jinja, Gulu and Mbarara, were among those affected, with many residents reporting complete darkness.
UETCL's technical teams were deployed to assess the cause of the failure and restore electricity as quickly as possible, though no official timeline was immediately provided for full restoration of power.
"UETCL's technical teams are working to restore supply as quickly as possible," the statement added, offering reassurance to affected consumers.
The blackout disrupted commercial activities, with businesses relying on electricity, particularly in manufacturing, retail and hospitality, forced to either halt operations or switch to costly backup generators. Health facilities were also affected, though many major hospitals activated emergency power systems to maintain critical services.
Such nationwide outages, while rare, highlight vulnerabilities in Uganda's power transmission infrastructure and the need for increased investment in grid stability and redundancy systems.
By press time, the exact cause of the grid failure had not been disclosed, and officials had not yet indicated whether the outage resulted from technical faults, system overload or external factors.
UEDCL apologized for the inconvenience caused and appealed for patience as restoration efforts continued.
"We regret the inconvenience caused," the company said.
Authorities are expected to provide further updates as investigations into the outage progress and restoration efforts advance.
COMTEX_483266978/2029/2026-06-08T09:23:04
by Hakim Kanyere
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