Residents Protest Three-Month Blackout in Uganda’s Kabale

Residents of Habubare Trading Centre and surrounding communities in Kabale District have protested a three-month power outage, accusing the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited of failing to restore supply.

The blackout, which has affected six villages in Bigaga Parish, Butanda Sub-county, is said to have been caused by a lightning strike that damaged a transformer serving the area.

Local leaders and residents said the prolonged outage has disrupted businesses and heightened insecurity, with criminal activities increasing under the cover of darkness.

The LC1 Chairperson of Rugyeesi Village, Santro Akandinda, said the damaged transformer had been supplying Habubare Trading Centre and nearby communities, including Kasumo, Hakarambi, Rugyeesi, Rusisiro Upper, Rusisiro Lower and Rwaara.

He noted that repeated appeals to the distribution company to repair the facility had gone unanswered, while incidents of theft, including Irish potatoes and vehicle batteries, had risen significantly.

A local welder, Kadulu Mashemererwa, said he had been unable to operate his business since the outage began, despite having secured several jobs. He estimated losses of over one million Ugandan shillings and expressed frustration over continued billing despite the lack of electricity.

Similarly, James Kamuhanda, a salon owner in the trading centre, said his business and others, including electronics repair services, had been forced to shut down.

Other residents, including Jackson Robert Biryomumeisho and Abia Kyomuhendo, called for urgent intervention to restore power and revive economic activities in the area.

When contacted, the Kabale Station Manager of the distribution company, Rovinsa Nshemereirwe, said she was unaware of the situation. She, however, disputed claims that the outage had lasted three months and assured residents that the matter would be investigated and addressed.