UGANDA RURAL ELECTRIFICATION PROGRAMME GETS US$212m

Uganda gets US$212 million from Chinese government for Rural Electrification Programme.

The Chinese government have given a US$212 million loan to Uganda to help support its rural electrification programme. Uganda plans to increase its rural electrification access rate to 51 per cent by 2030. Under the rural electrification programme it also expects to reach 100 per cent by 2040. The signing of this loan is an example of China-Uganda Economic Cooperation.

In Africa, Uganda is one of the countries with the lowest electricity rate. The rural electrification programme aims to help bridge the electricity demand and supply gap in the country.

The funds from this loan agreement will help Uganda accelerate the access to clean and modern electricity. It will also help boost demand through the electrification of all unserviced sub-counties nationwide. The project will also include construction of network distribution infrastructure for the government and surrounding areas of 287 sub-counties in Uganda.

The loan financing will help Ugandan government construct 3839 km of medium voltage networks, 5921 km of low voltage networks and install and commission 3403 distribution transfers; install and connect 168,335 single phase consumers and also 4,254 three phase consumers.

The Chinese government have aided Uganda in financing the Karuma and Isimba Hydropower projects and its Associated Transmission Lines. It also assisted in constructing the Kampala-Entebbe Airport Expressway and in the Upgrading and Expansion of the Entebbe International Airport phase 1 project.