KAMPALA, UGANDA – The Uganda Manufacturers Association (UMA) has announced an upcoming “Electricity Dialogue” in partnership with the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), creating a high-level platform for the industrial sector to directly address the critical energy challenges that are hampering its growth.

The dialogue comes at a crucial time, with UMA highlighting a stark paradox: while the manufacturing sector is the largest and most vital consumer, utilizing over 68% of the nation’s electricity, it continues to be plagued by persistent power fluctuations, frequent outages, and chronic reliability issues. This event is a proactive, solutions-oriented effort to move beyond identifying problems and toward co-creating a sustainable energy future for Uganda’s industries.

For every manufacturer, the cost and quality of electricity are not just operational details—they are fundamental to competitiveness, profitability, and the ability to invest in modern technology.

The Crippling Cost of Unreliable Power

The upcoming dialogue will provide a forum to articulate the severe, real-world impact of poor power quality on factory operations. The key challenges that will be at the forefront of the discussion include:

• Power Fluctuations: Voltage instability and surges cause immense damage to sensitive, modern industrial machinery, leading to expensive repairs, unplanned downtime, and a reluctance to invest in advanced equipment.
• Frequent Outages: Unplanned power cuts bring production lines to a complete halt, resulting in direct financial losses from idle labor, wasted raw materials, and missed deadlines.
• Increased Operational Costs: To mitigate these issues, many manufacturers are forced to rely on expensive diesel generators, which significantly increases their cost of production and makes their final products less competitive against imports.

A Strategic Engagement with a Key Infrastructure Partner

The partnership with UEDCL in this dialogue is highly strategic. As a key state-owned entity responsible for operating and maintaining significant portions of the nation’s electricity distribution network, UEDCL plays a vital role in the physical delivery of power to industrial consumers.

The dialogue aims to foster a collaborative relationship, moving the conversation from reactive complaints to proactive problem-solving. It is an opportunity for manufacturers, as the sector’s most important client, to:

• Identify specific infrastructure bottlenecks and priority areas for grid upgrades.
• Discuss the need for improved, proactive maintenance schedules to prevent faults.
• Develop a framework for better communication and faster response times when issues arise.

Driving Towards Sustainable Solutions

The ultimate goal of the Electricity Dialogue is to create a reliable energy ecosystem that can support Uganda’s industrialization agenda. By bringing manufacturers and a key energy distributor to the same table, this initiative seeks to secure concrete commitments that will lead to a more stable, efficient, and business-friendly power supply.

UMA is strongly encouraging all its members to register and participate, ensuring that the collective voice of the industry is heard and that the solutions developed are practical, effective, and capable of powering Uganda’s sustainable growth.

To be part of this crucial conversation, register now:https://forms.gle/osbPh9VbJmouePcc6