Faster Raster Paster official

AN OPEN LETTER TO ENG. JOSELYNNE R. RWABWOGO, ACTING MANAGING DIRECTOR, UEDCL @MDofUEDCL RE: HOW MUCH MORE MUST UGANDANS ENDURE BEFORE SOMEONE TAKES RESPONSIBILITY FOR ELECTRICITY SUPPLY? Dear Madam, I write with a heavy heart, not only as a Ugandan entrepreneur but as a citizen who believes in this country's potential and has dedicated effort to encouraging Ugandans to believe in Uganda, invest in it, create jobs and contribute to its economic transformation. What more must Ugandans do to deserve reliable electricity? How many complaints must we file? How many businesses must collapse? How many investments must be abandoned? How many families must suffer? How many livelihoods must be lost before someone takes responsibility? As I write this letter, my area has spent an entire month without electricity. A whole month. What is perhaps more frustrating is the feeling that no matter how much we complain, no matter how many times we raise concerns, nothing meaningful changes. Madam, electricity is not a luxury in today's Uganda. It is essential. It is the backbone of modern business, manufacturing, healthcare, education, agriculture and every meaningful economic activity. There are families whose daily meals depend on it. Mothers running small food businesses, young people in workshops, welders, bakers, milk processors, manufacturers, barbers, restaurant owners, pharmacists and countless entrepreneurs whose survival depends on reliable power. When electricity disappears for weeks or months, they do not simply switch off and wait. They lose money, customers, stock, contracts and opportunities. Some eventually lose everything they have worked for, yet these are the very people we encourage to work hard, pay taxes and employ others. How do we expect to industrialize when industries cannot depend on power? We are told to embrace value addition, process our milk, package our produce, establish factories and manufacture locally. I am one of those who took that message seriously, investing in agriculture, manufacturing, vocational skills and dairy value addition, and encouraging Ugandans in the diaspora to return home and invest. But what do we tell someone who saves for fifteen years abroad, builds a milk processing plant, purchases machinery, employs young Ugandans and begins production, only to find electricity so unreliable that operating becomes a gamble? What do we tell a youth who borrows to open a bakery and spends weeks without power, or a farmer who loses milk due to failed refrigeration? This is not how we build investor confidence. The law does not expect consumers to remain silent. Article 38 of the Constitution gives citizens the right to participate in government affairs, which this letter exercises. Article 40 recognizes the right to practice any lawful trade or business, while Article 41 guarantees access to information from state agencies. The Electricity Act Cap 157, Section 77, obligates a distributor to supply and continue supplying electricity, allows consumers to appeal to the Electricity Regulatory Authority when supply defaults, requires 24 hours notice for planned interruptions, and provides for compensation where negligence causes loss. The Primary Grid Code Regulations require licensees to minimize interruption duration and provide information on nature and restoration time. We are not asking for miracles. We ask for reliable supply, clear communication with realistic timelines, a responsive complaints system, accountability for prolonged failures, an emergency mechanism for businesses, transparency on challenges, and respect for consumers. We still believe in Uganda. Are the institutions entrusted with serving Uganda doing enough to protect that belief? Yours sincerely, A Concerned Ugandan Citizen and Entrepreneur. "JB Tailored Fashionz"