Boosting local content in industrialization

A few weeks ago, I proposed that Uganda needs to industrialize to pick up the surplus electricity generation that we shall experience when Karuma and Isimba Hydro Power plants come on the grid this year. Industrialization requires capital and it requires ideas especially. These are the things that entrepreneurs bring to the table. Entrepreneurs are […]

What to do with Uganda’s electricity surplus

In 2007, Uganda had an electricity supply deficit. Businessmen rioted because of load shedding as they needed electricity to run their businesses. The government was touched and came up with a strategy to boost electricity generation in the country. In the short term, thermal generation was deployed to bridge the electricity generation gap as the […]

How to address electricity tower vandalism

A few weeks ago we suffered a national black out in Uganda due to collapsed towers of the electricity transmission lines. The towers succumbed after suffering vandalism through stealing of tower members. This vandalism is not new to the electricity sector. Conductors and tower members are stolen and sold on the local market. We have […]

Are donors for local content or not?

Two months ago, I was contacted by a representative of Kodar Energomantaza (Kodar) over a job opportunity in Uganda. Kodar is based in Serbia. After I shared my CV with them we traded a number of emails with the representative of the company. They finally told me that they had won a contract in Uganda […]

Effects of eliminating consultants in road development

On May 30th 2018 an article appeared in the red pepper about the savings that Uganda National Roads Authority (UNRA) had accumulated by eliminating external consultants from a number of projects. My first reaction was that red pepper is a tabloid and whatever they write is not considered as truth. However, given its circulation, the […]

Lets welcome Kampala Jinja Expressway PPP

This week is an incredible moment for the infrastructure sector. UNRA advertised an Expression of Interest to Design, Build, Finance, Operate, maintain and transfer of the Kampala-Jinja Expressway (KJE) PPP project. Many people will wonder why this excites us infrastructure professionals. This is because this a big mile stone and a precedent to private sector […]

How to bring Privatisation into Uganda’s Electricity Transmission Space

A few weeks ago, I was interviewed by Benon Ojiambo of the New Vision about introducing private sector in the electricity transmission space. Being an interview I spoke off the cuff without preparation. Over the last few weeks, I have taken some time to think through the issue of introducing private players in the electricity […]