October 30, 2026 (Vanguard/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
Government of Uganda has launched the development of the National Electricity Distribution Master Plan to 2040, a strategic initiative aimed at improving electricity planning, reducing infrastructure costs and ensuring that households, businesses, schools, health facilities and industries have access to a more reliable power network.
The plan is expected to take 18 months to complete and will establish a coordinated framework for expanding electricity infrastructure in line with the country's development priorities and growing demand for power.
Eng. Abdon Atwine, Commissioner for Rural Electrification at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, said the initiative would address gaps in electricity planning, particularly the costly practice of establishing public institutions and economic activities far from existing electricity infrastructure.
"This is a study that will take us 18 months, and we have started. After 18 months, we should be harmonised as a sector and with our stakeholders on how to extend electricity," Atwine said.
He explained that the lack of coordinated planning among government agencies had sometimes resulted in schools and health facilities being established far from existing electricity lines, forcing the government to spend substantial amounts of money extending the network to serve them.
Atwine cited examples of schools located about 40 kilometres from the existing electricity grid and health facilities situated approximately 20 kilometres away, creating additional infrastructure costs that could have been avoided through better coordination.
The master plan is intended to integrate electricity infrastructure development into the planning of public services, commercial activities and industrial investments.
Under the proposed approach, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development will work with other government agencies responsible for sectors such as health, education, agriculture and tourism to align infrastructure investments with the locations of planned developments.
The initiative comes as Uganda continues to expand its electricity distribution network to support economic growth and improve access to power.
According to the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), the country's electricity distribution network reached 96,263 kilometres by the end of 2025, representing a 72 per cent increase from 56,092 kilometres in 2021. Low-voltage lines accounted for approximately 60 per cent of the network.
Despite this expansion, the government faces the challenge of ensuring that new electricity infrastructure is developed efficiently and reaches areas where it can support productive economic activity.
Atwine said the master plan would also take into account emerging businesses and enterprises established under government development programmes, including the Parish Development Model (PDM).
He noted that as communities establish businesses and expand economic activities, electricity planning must ensure that these enterprises can access existing infrastructure or are incorporated into future network expansion plans.
The initiative is expected to improve coordination between electricity planners and agencies responsible for identifying investment priorities, helping to reduce duplication and avoid unnecessary expenditure on network extensions.
For businesses, a more coordinated electricity distribution network could improve access to power for manufacturing, agro-processing, commercial enterprises and other productive activities.
Reliable electricity is particularly important for enterprises that depend on machinery, refrigeration, digital systems and other electricity-intensive operations.
Improved planning could also help the government prioritise network upgrades in areas experiencing growing demand, including trading centres, industrial zones and communities where new economic activities are emerging.
The scale of the existing network underscores the importance of managing electricity infrastructure efficiently.
ERA reported that electricity distribution utilities purchased 6,630 gigawatt-hours of electricity in 2025 and sold 5,430 gigawatt-hours, while distribution losses stood at 18.1 per cent, up from 16.7 per cent in 2024.
These figures highlight the importance of not only expanding the network but also improving its efficiency and ensuring that investments deliver better results for electricity consumers.
The master plan is expected to provide a coordinated basis for future distribution investments, although its specific recommendations and implementation priorities will be determined through the 18-month study.
Atwine said the ultimate objective was to ensure that electricity expansion is guided by a common plan developed in consultation with relevant stakeholders, rather than by separate decisions that could increase costs or leave infrastructure disconnected from national development priorities.
Once completed, the National Electricity Distribution Master Plan is expected to guide the expansion, upgrading and organisation of Uganda's electricity distribution network towards 2040, supporting improved public service delivery, private-sector investment and the country's broader industrialisation ambitions.
COMTEX_1001999817/2029/2026-10-30T00:05:15
