evacuation grid before the completion of hydro power
dam. Efforts to extend the network to the rural areas
were slowed down by systemic corruption which ultimately interrupted the implementation effort, hence
stalling the project (Parliament of Uganda, 2020).
Attention needs to be paid to implementing community schemes as well as the provision of subsidies to
independent power producers operating the mini grids
(ERA, 2018)
The existing grid exhibits significant deficiencies
and may not conform to the 4Ds (digitization, decentralization, decarbonization and democracy) modernization agenda any sooner. Most of the power challenges with the existing national grid are occasioned by
reliance on old technology. The current grid still operates on conventional technology that is highly unreliable (ERA 2019) and can barely support increased
grid load arising from increased connectivity and rural
grid extension, albeit with over 16% losses (UMEME
2020). This technology insufficiently supports the current independent power producers (IPPs) considering
that most IPPs are generally decentralized yet the grid
was largely designed to support the needs of centralized systems (Twaha, 2016). There are no systems to
monitor and enforce Decarbonization.
4.2.5 Ineffectual quality control
The inadequate capacity to superintend over the
national technical standards and operational quality
control created substantial drawbacks to the increase in
renewable energy system. As such, concern for decarbonization which would otherwise be the foundation
for the increasing the adoption of renewable energy
remains a peripheral matter. This can be attributed
to the limited awareness of the benefits of adopting
renewable energy along with shortage of the required
training meant to increase efficacy of RETs, in line
with the works of by Murphy (2014). A number of
RETs are described through the lenses of absence
of minimum standards in relation to their performance, durability and reliability (Fashina, 2017) which
subsequently upset the potential for large-scale commercialization (Raisch, 2016). Currently, there are
limited standards and regulatory requirements within
Uganda. Even where such exist, the effectiveness of
the enforcement teams is quickly curtailed by the
influence of powerful politicians with hidden interests
through a process best described by Stigler (1975) as
regulatory capture. Even certification of the installations is normally a tall order (Karekezi, 2012; Norton
2015). It is no wonder that there is a huge circulation of
substandard/poor quality RE equipment such as solar
components and systems into the country.
4.3 Disruptions from the COVID-19 era
Upon the advent of COVID-19, Uganda went under
countrywide lockdown for over 4 months, further
slowing down project implementation of the rural electrification programme. The travel ban disrupted the
supplies, supervision, and normal operations of the
electricity sub-sector and most contractors have since
invoked the force majeure clauses established in their
contracts upon failure to meet their contractual deadlines and obligations. The lockdown period stalled
most operations and made it impossible to conduct
Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) on the imported key
materials which included transformers and conductors
acquired from China, India, and Turkey among others
(MEMD, 2020). The 2020 annual monitoring reports
for the Financial Year 2019/20 present evidence on the
delay in the implementation of the rural electrification programme and transmission projects across the
country. This was due to the difficulties in shipping
the materials from overseas. The restriction also meant
that the project field teams could not conduct monitoring and supervision of the work done, ultimately
impacting the quality of the final works (BMAU, 2020)
4.3.1 Reduced electricity demand and revenue
collection due to increased costs
Following the closure of several businesses, hotels and
restaurants among others, there was a reduction in the
demand for electricity from medium and large-scale
consumers. The manufacturing sector was involuntarily forced to cut down production on account of
limited market (BMAU, 2020). The data from ERA
indicates that the manufacturing sector alone accounts
for 78% of all electricity sales. This disrupts the
government budget plans by placing extra financial
pressure on the government to pay deemed power
computed per the contractual terms to cater for the
available generation capacity not utilized (MEMD,
2020). The reduction in revenue was further aggravated by aggravated by the government’s directive
to suspend disconnection of defaulters. Due to the
travel restrictions, an increase in the cost of operation was inevitable among energy sector utility service
providers. For example, the restrictions increased the
risks and effectiveness of the field maintenance staff
and the rectification of faults on the already challenged
network amidst the requirement to practice social distancing. This rendered difficult the practice of shared
means of transport as the number of travelers had been
restricted and called for either the use of more vehicles
or motorcycles, thus increasing the costs of operation.
4.3.2 Reduction in the rate of new connections
During the lockdown, the consumption at household
level increased. However, as a measure of ensuring
safety of staff and consumers, the utility companies
opted to suspend the connection of new users on the
national grid (MEMD, 2020), especially given the
unreliability of the old technology. As such, a limited
number of new household users and commercial enterprises were connected during the COVID-19 lockdown
period (BMAU, 2020) down from the Financial Year
2019/2020 target connection of 300,000 households
that had been earmarked for connection through the
free connections policy. Unfortunately, by the end of
the first half of the FinancialYear 2019/20, only 30% of
the target households were connected. There is a high
222
dam. Efforts to extend the network to the rural areas
were slowed down by systemic corruption which ultimately interrupted the implementation effort, hence
stalling the project (Parliament of Uganda, 2020).
Attention needs to be paid to implementing community schemes as well as the provision of subsidies to
independent power producers operating the mini grids
(ERA, 2018)
The existing grid exhibits significant deficiencies
and may not conform to the 4Ds (digitization, decentralization, decarbonization and democracy) modernization agenda any sooner. Most of the power challenges with the existing national grid are occasioned by
reliance on old technology. The current grid still operates on conventional technology that is highly unreliable (ERA 2019) and can barely support increased
grid load arising from increased connectivity and rural
grid extension, albeit with over 16% losses (UMEME
2020). This technology insufficiently supports the current independent power producers (IPPs) considering
that most IPPs are generally decentralized yet the grid
was largely designed to support the needs of centralized systems (Twaha, 2016). There are no systems to
monitor and enforce Decarbonization.
4.2.5 Ineffectual quality control
The inadequate capacity to superintend over the
national technical standards and operational quality
control created substantial drawbacks to the increase in
renewable energy system. As such, concern for decarbonization which would otherwise be the foundation
for the increasing the adoption of renewable energy
remains a peripheral matter. This can be attributed
to the limited awareness of the benefits of adopting
renewable energy along with shortage of the required
training meant to increase efficacy of RETs, in line
with the works of by Murphy (2014). A number of
RETs are described through the lenses of absence
of minimum standards in relation to their performance, durability and reliability (Fashina, 2017) which
subsequently upset the potential for large-scale commercialization (Raisch, 2016). Currently, there are
limited standards and regulatory requirements within
Uganda. Even where such exist, the effectiveness of
the enforcement teams is quickly curtailed by the
influence of powerful politicians with hidden interests
through a process best described by Stigler (1975) as
regulatory capture. Even certification of the installations is normally a tall order (Karekezi, 2012; Norton
2015). It is no wonder that there is a huge circulation of
substandard/poor quality RE equipment such as solar
components and systems into the country.
4.3 Disruptions from the COVID-19 era
Upon the advent of COVID-19, Uganda went under
countrywide lockdown for over 4 months, further
slowing down project implementation of the rural electrification programme. The travel ban disrupted the
supplies, supervision, and normal operations of the
electricity sub-sector and most contractors have since
invoked the force majeure clauses established in their
contracts upon failure to meet their contractual deadlines and obligations. The lockdown period stalled
most operations and made it impossible to conduct
Factory Acceptance Tests (FATs) on the imported key
materials which included transformers and conductors
acquired from China, India, and Turkey among others
(MEMD, 2020). The 2020 annual monitoring reports
for the Financial Year 2019/20 present evidence on the
delay in the implementation of the rural electrification programme and transmission projects across the
country. This was due to the difficulties in shipping
the materials from overseas. The restriction also meant
that the project field teams could not conduct monitoring and supervision of the work done, ultimately
impacting the quality of the final works (BMAU, 2020)
4.3.1 Reduced electricity demand and revenue
collection due to increased costs
Following the closure of several businesses, hotels and
restaurants among others, there was a reduction in the
demand for electricity from medium and large-scale
consumers. The manufacturing sector was involuntarily forced to cut down production on account of
limited market (BMAU, 2020). The data from ERA
indicates that the manufacturing sector alone accounts
for 78% of all electricity sales. This disrupts the
government budget plans by placing extra financial
pressure on the government to pay deemed power
computed per the contractual terms to cater for the
available generation capacity not utilized (MEMD,
2020). The reduction in revenue was further aggravated by aggravated by the government’s directive
to suspend disconnection of defaulters. Due to the
travel restrictions, an increase in the cost of operation was inevitable among energy sector utility service
providers. For example, the restrictions increased the
risks and effectiveness of the field maintenance staff
and the rectification of faults on the already challenged
network amidst the requirement to practice social distancing. This rendered difficult the practice of shared
means of transport as the number of travelers had been
restricted and called for either the use of more vehicles
or motorcycles, thus increasing the costs of operation.
4.3.2 Reduction in the rate of new connections
During the lockdown, the consumption at household
level increased. However, as a measure of ensuring
safety of staff and consumers, the utility companies
opted to suspend the connection of new users on the
national grid (MEMD, 2020), especially given the
unreliability of the old technology. As such, a limited
number of new household users and commercial enterprises were connected during the COVID-19 lockdown
period (BMAU, 2020) down from the Financial Year
2019/2020 target connection of 300,000 households
that had been earmarked for connection through the
free connections policy. Unfortunately, by the end of
the first half of the FinancialYear 2019/20, only 30% of
the target households were connected. There is a high
222