Kampala’s power overhaul targets 80,000 customers and an overloaded network

For more than 80,000 electricity customers in Greater Kampala and nearby districts, months of repeated blackouts have made reliable power an urgent concern. Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has now outlined a network overhaul aimed at improving supply, according to Daily Monitor Uganda (direct). But one central upgrade—the transformer at Kawanda Substation—is expected to ease capacity constraints for Naalya, Kyaliwajala and surrounding areas only by the end of 2026.

The distributor presented its plans during a nationwide campaign to meet local leaders and hear directly from customers. Consultations began in Kira Municipality, an area hit by frequent power cuts. Isaac Katewanga, UEDCL’s acting chief commercial and operations services officer, acknowledged the frustration caused by recurring outages. He said the meetings were intended to explain the interruptions, update communities on projects and identify practical solutions with local leaders.

Relieving the bottlenecks

The Kawanda transformer upgrade is intended to address equipment capacity that has become a constraint on supply. Transformers adjust voltage as electricity moves through the network. UEDCL has also started dividing the overloaded Seeta-Bukerere distribution line into separate sections. That work is designed to steady voltage, reduce congestion on the line and allow power to be restored more quickly when faults occur. Alongside those projects, the company is adding transformers in heavily loaded areas, replacing equipment with higher-capacity alternatives and replacing damaged poles and conductors—the wires that carry electricity.

Samson Tondo, UEDCL’s head of engineering services for the Central Region, said the improvements would serve residents and businesses across Kira, Namugongo, Kyaliwajala, Bulindo, Kitukutwe, Nsasa, Nabusugwe, Naalya, Kasangati, Najjera, Nakwero, Bukerere, Sonde and nearby communities. He also said UEDCL was working with Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited on broader expansion plans intended to raise Greater Kampala’s transmission capacity from 80 megawatts to 200 megawatts. Transmission carries electricity in bulk before distribution networks deliver it to customers.

The programme extends beyond those immediate interventions. UEDCL is building substations, which help manage electricity flows and voltage, in Magigye, Kigo and Nakasero. Existing facilities in Kireka, Busunju, Kakiri, Mubende, Jinja Industrial, Kabaale and Mbale are being upgraded. Power-line refurbishment is also progressing in Mityana, Masaka, Kasese and Bushenyi. The company estimates that the combined works could lift network reliability to as much as 98 percent once completed.

Equipment security remains a challenge

New hardware alone will not remove every cause of disruption. UEDCL management said theft and damage to electrical assets continued to interrupt supply to entire communities and disrupt important business operations. Tondo urged residents and civic leaders to report suspicious activity around installations.

Tondo said community vigilance was needed to help protect electricity infrastructure from vandalism.

The outreach also addressed connection scams. Jessica Zziwa, head of commercial and operations services for the Central Region, urged customers to use verified banking channels or official mobile money platforms, avoid cash payments to people offering faster connections and report suspected fraud. More than 100 stakeholders attended the Kira meeting. Kampala East Regional Police Commander ASP Justus Tashobya pledged continued security support, while Namugongo Division Mayor Moses Haumba welcomed the opportunity for local leaders to raise concerns.

The next test is delivery: completing the line works, installing additional equipment and meeting the end-2026 target for relief from the Kawanda upgrade. With urban electricity demand rising rapidly, progress on transmission expansion and protection of existing assets will also be central to UEDCL’s effort to make supply more dependable.