Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa has revealed that investigations are underway into the office of former Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa following concerns over poor response to customer complaints and operational inefficiencies.
Mwesigwa was recently sent on forced leave as part of government efforts to strengthen governance and improve operational effectiveness at UEDCL.
Speaking during the 21st Annual General Meeting at UEDCL headquarters in Kampala, Nankabirwa acknowledged the company’s strong financial performance, highlighting a significant increase in revenue collection from Shs111 billion to Shs669 billion.
She attributed the growth to improved operational efficiency, expansion of customer connections and enhanced revenue collection systems.
However, the minister said the gains had been overshadowed by persistent service delivery concerns, particularly delays in responding to customer complaints and electricity connection challenges.
“The investigations are ongoing to establish the gaps affecting service delivery and strengthen the company’s performance,” Nankabirwa said.
She also noted that revenue collections had improved by four percent, describing the growth as a sign that reforms within the electricity distribution sector were beginning to yield results.
The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited has in recent days come under scrutiny following complaints from consumers over delayed installations, prolonged outages and slow response to service requests.
Nankabirwa linked some of the delays in electricity installations to shipment challenges affecting the delivery of essential equipment needed for connections and maintenance works.
“Service improvement is on the horizon for Uganda’s power sector,” she said, adding that government is working on measures to leverage local companies and streamline procurement processes to reduce delays.
The minister assured stakeholders that electricity distribution services would continue uninterrupted during the ongoing investigations and restructuring process.
“There is no leadership vacuum at UEDCL. Operations are continuing normally as government reviews the concerns that have been raised,” she said.
The ongoing restructuring at UEDCL is aimed at improving accountability, governance and efficiency in Uganda’s electricity distribution system.
Government says the investigations will focus on customer service management, operational systems and procurement processes as part of wider reforms intended to improve service delivery across the energy sector.
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