The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Sentamu Nankabirwa, has set a 30 to 100-day timeline for visible improvements in electricity service delivery following a leadership shake-up at the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited.
The directive comes in the wake of the removal of Managing Director Paul Mwesigwa, who was sent on forced leave, with Joselynne Rwakakoko Rwabwogo stepping in as acting head.
Speaking after the company’s 21st Annual General Meeting, Nankabirwa signalled a decisive push to restore efficiency at the state-owned distributor, saying the new leadership is expected to deliver quick results.
“Customers should begin to see better performance within 30 to 100 days,” she said.
The minister said the 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 highlighted a sharp rise in revenue collections from Shs111.3 billion to Shs669.5 billion, linking the growth to expansion of the distribution network.
Despite the positive financial outlook, 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 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 cautioned staff against panic, urging them to remain focused on their duties as the review process unfolds.
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,” she said.
Nankabirwa pointed to persistent inefficiencies, including procurement delays and slow response to outages, as some of the issues under review.
She noted that some of the challenges stem from the recent transition from Umeme Limited to UEDCL, during which many employees were absorbed but not always optimally deployed.
“In some cases, people may have been placed in roles that do not match their strengths, especially in critical response areas,” she said.
A restructuring process is now underway to realign staff with suitable roles, with the minister emphasising 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,” she said.
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.
Government, she said, 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,” she said.
Even as reforms take shape, the minister urged the public to remain patient.
“Ugandans should remain calm. We are fixing the gaps and service will improve,” she said.
