Uganda’s Electricity sub-Sector is run under a liberalized set up following its Liberalization in 1997 and the enactment of the Electricity Act, 1999. The Liberalization and enactment of the Electricity Act, 1999, mandated the unbundling of Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) which was a monopoly managing generation, transmission, distribution, sale, import, and export of Uganda’s Electricity. Uganda’s Electricity Supply Industry is now regulated under the Electricity Act, CAP 157, the Energy Policy, the National Environment Act, Chapter 153, and the Statutory Instruments and Guidelines issued by the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA).
Uganda’s Electricity Supply Industry is divided into three (3) independent segments:
The Generation segment has a combination of the Government of Uganda-owned power plants, Independent Power Producers (IPPs), and Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs). The Transmission Segment is wholly owned by the Government of Uganda, however in 2022 with the amendment of the Electricity Act, it has been opened up for private investment. The Distribution segment, just like Generation, is also liberalized and has private players, as well as a Government of Uganda-owned Distribution Company – the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (UEDCL).
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development is the Policy head of Uganda’s Electricity Supply Industry to whom ERA is directly answerable. The mandate of the MEMD is to establish and promote the development of Energy and Mineral Resources for Social and Economic Development. The Ministry provides Policy guidance in the development and exploitation of the Energy resources and works with the Industry Regulator to create an enabling environment in order to attract investment in the development, provision, and utilization of Energy resources.
The Electricity Regulatory Authority is the legal supervisor of Uganda’s Electricity Supply Industry. ERA was established in the year 2000 as a body corporate, with the capability to sue or be sued. It consists of Five (5) Board (Authority) Members appointed by the Minister responsible for Energy, with the approval of the Cabinet. ERA also has a Secretariat that comprises of Technical Staff who operationalize the decisions made by the Board.
ERA is mandated by the Electricity Act, CAP 157, to issue Licenses with the attendant License Terms and Conditions for Electricity Generation, Transmission, Distribution, Sale, Import, and Export of Electricity. ERA is also mandated to establish a Tariff structure and approve rates of charges, among other functions. ERA is duty-bound to conduct its functions in an Open, Objective, Fair, Reasonable, Non-discriminatory, Transparent manner, and also promote Fair Competition in the Liberalized Electricity Supply Industry. ERA ensures that Utilities earn a reasonable rate of return on their investments necessary to provide a Quality Service at Affordable Prices to the Electricity Consumer.
The Electricity Regulatory Authority has since its establishment presided over a steadily growing sub-Sector that has eliminated load shedding due to increased generation and accelerated Electricity Access for End-Users.
To ensure Sustainable Electricity Supply, ERA has over the years created a conducive regulatory environment and incentives aimed at diversifying the Country’s Generation Mix. Uganda’s Power Generation is mainly diversified across Four (4) different sources as follows: –
Uganda’s Electricity sub-Sector has grown from Three (3) Generation Plants in 2001 to over 45 Plants and is still growing. The Total Installed Generation Capacity has grown from 60 MW in 1954, 400 MW in 2000 to 2052.7 MW as of January 2025.
Uganda’s Electricity Transmission is managed by the single operator of the Transmission System – the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd (UETCL), which directly executes Power Purchase Agreements with Independent Power Producers and manages the scheduling and actual dispatching of Power Plants.
The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd holds a Licenses for the operation of the High Voltage Transmission Grid, the System Operator License, the Export and Import of Electricity License, and the Bulk Supply License.
Following the Government’s decision to reclaim generation and distribution concessions upon their expiry, UEDCL officially took over electricity supply and distribution from Umeme Limited on April 1, 2025. This marks a significant milestone in Uganda’s ongoing energy sector reforms, aimed at improving efficiency, strengthening accountability, and enhancing service reliability for electricity consumers across the country.
ERA as the Regulator of Uganda’s Electricity Supply Industry has an established fully-fledged Consumer Affairs Unit (in the Department of Corporate and Consumer Affairs), which handles Electricity Consumer Complaints that have not been resolved by the Distribution Companies. The Consumer Affairs Unit operates a Contact Center that can be reached by the Public on Telephone Number 0200-506000 during working hours (8:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday) and across various online platforms. These several contact points are aimed at promoting Consumer Protection, to give the Consumers the opportunity to be heard when they are unhappy with their Electricity Service.
The Online Platforms available to Consumers through which they can reach ERA are Facebook, WhatsApp, Twitter, Email, and the Website.
For information on the Licensing Process, please visit the Licensing menu.
