WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2011-01-17 Time: 02:00:02 Posted By: News Poster
By Frederick Womakuyu
IN the 21st century, every citizen of the world is expected to be connected to at least some form of electricity. Not so in Uganda. According to the Ministry of Energy, just about 500,000 Ugandans are connected to electricity.
Over 90% of the Ugandans are either using firewood or charcoal for energy.
However, even the 10% who are using electricity do not get access to power throughout the year. Load-shedding or power cuts have become a common feature.
Between 2004 and 2006, Uganda experienced chronic power cuts, a problem that heavily affected development. This forced the Government to purchase diesel generators to supplement the hydro-electric power capacity.
Before the power sector was liberalised and privatised in 1995, Uganda was producing less than 100 megawatts of power. By then, less than 4% of Ugandans were connected to electricity grid and the population was less than 20 million, so the power was nearly enough.
Most of the rural areas in Uganda were not connected to the main grid – they lived in darkness.
Then Government privatised the power sector, creating three companies that are responsible for generation, transmission and distribution.
Despite the fact that the Government has extended power to some rural areas in Uganda, most of the rural folks’ homes are not connected partly due to the poverty and the high price of electricity. Umeme currently charges Ugandans about sh385 per unit of electricity.
The Government is now in the final stages of finishing the Bujagali power dam that will produce over 400 mega-watts of power.
Uganda is also seeking contractors to build the 700-megawatt Karuma hydropower plant in northwestern region on the River Nile, the energy ministry revealed.
“Works to the project start early this year. The plant is expected to start production in 2015,” Dan Mayanja, technical manager of the Uganda Electricity Generation Company,” said.
Construction of the $1.3b plant with five turbines will be financed by the state-run Energy Investment Fund and supervised by the Uganda Electricity Generation Co. Uganda may seek an investor to help raise the funds and then operate the plant, Mayanja said.
A $6m study on the feasibility was supposed to be completed by year’s end, he said. The project was upgraded to 700 megawatts from 200 megawatts following the Government’s assumption of full control after talks with Norway’s Norpak Power Ltd., the initial promoter, collapsed in mid-2008, according to the ministry.
Uganda can currently produces 410 megawatts of power, which isn’t enough to meet the demand, according to the nation’s state-run Electricity Regulatory Authority.
Uganda’s target is to have over 10,000 megawatts of power by 2050, during which time; the population will be 100 million people. The Government hopes that by that time, all Ugandans will be connected to the national grid.
Original Source: 
Original date published: 15 January 2011
Source: http://allafrica.com/stories/201101170088.html?viewall=1