PARLIAMENTARY COMMITTEE ON NATURAL RESOURCES ORDERS 200 BILLION RELEASE FOR 200 BILLION FOR POWER LINES
The parliamentary natural resources committee wants 200 billion shillings released to Uganda Electricity Transmission Company for transmission lines for hydropower projects.
The committee’s chairperson Alex Byarugaba noted that the Uganda Electricity Generation Company has reported that the works at Isimba and Karuma Hydropower dam projects are at over 60% completion, little has been done for transmission lines for both projects.
The minister of state for energy Simon D’Ujanga told the committee that works have resumed at both hydropower dam projects that were suspended last year over shoddy construction like cracks.
He says crack monitoring at the stilling basin is ongoing but recommendations made by the Chinese panel of experts on the Karuma Power project have not all been implemented.
The Permanent Secretary of the energy ministry Robert Isabalija commends the committee for highlighting the need to support UETCL with more funds since its current budget has a shortfall of 200 billion shillings.
Transmission lines are expected to also be set up to ensure they are also ready by the time of commission for power generation projects.
Meanwhile, the 600MW Karuma and the 183MW Isimba dam on the River Nile are expected to be commissioned next year.
Constructed by Chinese firms Synohydro and China Water and Electric, both projects were valued at 7.1 trillion shillings with 85 percent funding from the EXIM Bank of China.
