The Umeme concession ended on 31 March 2025 and Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) took over the national distribution network the following day. Six months on, the political story has settled; the operational one is only starting.
Tariffs held, but reliability is uneven
The Electricity Regulatory Authority left end-user tariffs broadly unchanged for the first two quarterly reviews under UEDCL, absorbing transition costs at the wholesale level. In Kampala and Wakiso the change has been almost invisible to households. On rural feeders in Mubende and Lira the picture is more mixed: crews are still being reorganised, and callout times for faults on 33kV lines have lengthened in some sub-counties.
Last-mile connections are the real test
The bigger question is whether UEDCL can keep the Electricity Connections Policy moving. Under Umeme the subsidised connection scheme had slowed to a trickle. District engineers we spoke to want a published, monthly connections dashboard from the new operator so households and small businesses can plan.
- Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) - UEDCL
- Electricity Regulatory Authority - Tariffs - ERA Uganda
- Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development - Government of Uganda
