KAMPALA – Mbale Industrial City MP Hon. Masaba Karim has raised concerns over delays in replacing faulty electricity transformers, saying government procurement procedures have made it harder to restore power quickly following breakdowns.
Speaking during a parliamentary debate on transformer breakdowns, Masaba questioned the Minister over the challenges facing the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), particularly the time taken to replace damaged transformers since the departure of Umeme.
He said that under Umeme, faulty transformers were often repaired or replaced immediately because the company could make operational decisions without going through lengthy procurement procedures.
However, Masaba noted that under the current arrangement, transformer replacement requires following the government procurement process under the Public Procurement and Disposal of Public Assets (PPDA) framework, which can delay repairs for weeks or even months.
He urged the Minister to explain how UEDCL plans to maintain adequate stocks of transformers at regional level to ensure that communities are not left without electricity for extended periods.
The MP also raised concerns about the capacity of existing transformers, arguing that many were installed when the populations they served were considerably smaller than they are today.
According to Masaba, population growth and increased electricity demand have placed pressure on the existing infrastructure, resulting in frequent power interruptions, particularly during peak hours.
He cited Mbale Regional Referral Hospital as an example, revealing that the hospital sometimes has to switch off electricity in several sections to ensure that its oxygen plant has sufficient power to operate.
Masaba said the situation pointed to a transformer capacity challenge that could affect the hospital’s ability to maintain essential services.
He further questioned why the parliamentary committee had not inspected the Mbale substation, which he said was located in a flood-prone area around Mutoto and Tororo Road, near the URA checkpoint.
The legislator explained that even ordinary rainfall causes flooding around the substation, forcing operators to drain the facility and, in the process, disrupting electricity supply across Mbale City.
He called for the Minister to address the challenges affecting transformer replacement, electricity distribution capacity and the vulnerability of the Mbale substation to flooding.
