By Sadique Bamwita
ENTEBBE
The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Hon. Ruth Sentamu Nankabirwa, has given Uganda Electricity Distribution Company between 30-100-days to make visible improvements in electricity service delivery. The ultimatum comes days after sacking top bosses at the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited.
This action follows removal of Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa, who was sent on forced leave, and replaced with Joselynne Rwakakoko Rwabwogo as acting head.
While addressing the press on May 7, 2026, after the company’s 21st Annual General Meeting, Nankabirwa said the move is intended to restore efficiency at Electricity Distribution Company, adding that the new leadership is expected to deliver quick results.
“Customers should begin to see better results within 30 to 100 days,” Minister Nankabirwa noted.
The minister revealed that the Annual General Meeting reviewed both governance and financial performance, with the Auditor General clearing the company’s books as fairly presented in line with international standards.
She also reported a rise in revenue collections from Shs111.3 billion to Shs669.5 billion, linking the growth to expansion of the distribution network.
However, Hon. Nankabirwa made it clear that operational concerns, particularly around service delivery, remain under scrutiny.
She confirmed that investigations into the conduct and performance of the managing director’s office are ongoing and will inform the nation on the next steps.
“The inquiry is continuing. The acting leadership is in place and the company must continue to function as expected. There is no reason to panic if you are not at fault. But accountability will be enforced where necessary,” she said.
She strongly warned staff against panic, and challenged them to remain focused on their duties as the review process goes on.
The minister maintained that government and regulators are firmly behind UEDCL, but expect measurable improvements within a short timeframe.
She said the substantive appointment of a managing director will depend on the outcome of the investigations, noting that the company is stable under its interim leadership.
“There is no vacuum. The system is running and we expect service to improve,” Hon. Nankabirwa assured the public.
Among the issues under review include; procurement delays and slow response to outages.
She attributed some of the challenges to the recent transition from Umeme Limited to UEDCL, during which many employees were absorbed but not always optimally deployed.
Minister Nankabirwa revealed that a restructuring process is now underway to realign staff with suitable roles, emphasizing that the exercise is intended to improve performance rather than cut jobs.
“We are reorganising to ensure people are placed where they can deliver best,” she said.
She underscored the sensitivity of electricity distribution, warning that even brief outages can disrupt industries, healthcare services and businesses.
“Electricity is a live service. Any delay in response has serious consequences,” Hon. Nankabirwa expressed grave concern.
Nankabirwa defended the leadership changes, describing them as necessary to address performance gaps in a critical sector.
“Where service delivery is affected, leadership adjustments must be made,” she said.
She also cited shortages of essential equipment and delays in procurement as key bottlenecks, partly linked to supply chain challenges affecting local manufacturers. She, however said government is working to resolve these constraints to ensure staff have the materials needed to carry out connections and maintenance.
“There are teams on the ground that cannot work because of lack of materials. This is being addressed urgently,” Minister Nankabirwa pledged to fix the issue.
