West Nile continues to generate far more electricity than it consumes, with the latest report from the West Nile Rural Electrification Company (WENRECo) revealing a peak demand of only 9 megawatts against an available capacity of 145 megawatts. This wide gap reflects a region whose consumption remains extremely low despite major government investments in power infrastructure.
Although the sub-region now boasts more than 37,000 electricity connections, the majority are domestic users whose consumption is minimal. As of October last year, West Nile had only 4 large-scale industrial connections, 39 medium industries, and 622 commercial users—far too few to significantly absorb the available power.
To address previous challenges of insufficient supply, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni last year commissioned the 289km Kole–Gulu–Nebbi–Arua 132kV Transmission Line, along with associated substations in Kole, Gulu, Nebbi and Arua, effectively linking West Nile to the National Electricity Grid. WENRECo General Manager Eng. Kenneth Kigumba said they now supply power for the entire region from Muni Substation. Yet, utilization remains very low.
Because of the low peak demand, WENRECo only dispatches the small amount of power required by customers, leaving the rest unused at Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) substations. The company hopes to grow demand by onboarding more users, noting that underutilization of available power continues to limit its revenue.
Local leaders and stakeholders are now appealing to investors to seize the opportunity created by the stable and adequate electricity supply—something the region lacked for years. Zombo District Chairperson James Oruna Oyullu urged potential investors to set up industries capable of using the available power for heavy operations.
Arua Resident City Commissioner Betty Otekat also emphasized the importance of cooperation among different actors to ensure communities fully benefit from the established facilities.
Meanwhile, WENRECo evacuates its surplus power to Moyo and Adjumani districts through an interconnection in Yumbe District, supporting Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) in maintaining supply.
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