Parliament grills energy ministry over rural electrification delays

16 April 2026, 9:02 pm

By Winnie Auma

A heated session in parliament today has exposed growing frustration among lawmakers over the slow pace of rural electrification, with Members of Parliament accusing the Ministry of Energy of poor performance, lack of accountability, and failing to deliver on promises.

The debate came after the chairperson committee of natural resources, Herbert Edmund Ariko stated in his report that the program of electricity connectivity in rural areas have not yielded fruits.

He said government gave the Ministry over 500 billion shs for connectivity but the work is not seen on ground.

Several MPs questioned what happened to over 600 billion shillings that was transferred along with REA’s mandate to the Ministry. They cited stalled projects, abandoned electric poles, and unfulfilled survey reports across constituencies.

The member of Parliament for Otuke County, Paul Omara described the situation as “shambolic” and blamed technical staff for incompetence, warning that Ugandans cannot continue living in darkness while funds are repeatedly approved by Parliament.

At the center of the debate is the impact of donor funding, which the state minister for energy, Okaasai Opolot says comes with strict conditions such as mandatory compensation for land use and environmental disruptions that complicate and delay project implementation.

Despite these challenges, the Ministry insists it has a dedicated department handling rural electrification following the dissolution of the Rural Electrification Agency (REA).However, lawmakers were not convinced.

In response to mounting pressure, the speaker of Parliament, Annet Anita Among directed the Ministry of Energy to present a comprehensive report detailing progress, challenges, and accountability for funds spent on rural electrification.