President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has tasked relevant government officials to initiate a process of replacing Umeme.
The State Minister for Privatisation and Investment, Hon. Evelyn Anite is among those at the vanguard of implementing Museveni’s directive.
Museveni, according to Anite doesn’t want another foreign company to manage the country’s electricity, instead government should form its own firm, just like how Uganda Electricity Board (UEB) was.
UEB was disbanded before Umeme took over.
Anite told this website on Saturday afternoon that it is true the President is tired of Umeme’s inadequacies.
Earlier, Anite assured legislators that government’s plan to create a sole electricity company will ensure provision of affordable and accessible electricity.
Anite said it is the position of government to move away from using middle men in electricity generation, manufacturing and transmission, who she faulted for focusing on profit making at the expense of service delivery.
“The President directed that we should get these middlemen out of the business of providing electricity to citizens and also manufacturing. Middle men are looking at return on investment but government is not looking at return on investment — it will be looking at providing a service that must be cheap and available,” said Anite.
By middlemen, Anite referred to Uganda Electricity Generation Company Ltd, Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Ltd, Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd and Umeme among others.
The minister said that the successor electricity company will be fully owned by government with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development as the major shareholder with 51 per cent and the finance ministry as the minority shareholder.
“Government has started providing financing for employees of UEB under the Ministry of Information and National Guidance because we want to compensate even staff of other companies such as Uganda Telecom Ltd who were not paid during the time of privatisation,” she said.
Regarding the proceeds from the sale of UEB properties, Anite said she has for the past six years demanded for the report in vain.