Alebtong, Uganda | Residents and business operators in Tedwii Trading Centre, Obim Parish, Apala Sub-county in Alebtong District are counting losses following the restoration of electricity after a prolonged blackout that lasted between three to four weeks.
The outage, reportedly caused by a faulty transformer, paralysed economic activity in the trading centre, affecting small businesses, disrupting livelihoods and leaving several youths without employment.
Dr. Steven Odongo, a veterinary doctor and local businessman, said the blackout had far-reaching effects on the community, particularly those whose daily income depends on electricity.
“…we have been in darkness for weeks. Businesses could not operate, and many young people lost their jobs because most of what they do depends on power…,” he said.
Dr. Odongo revealed that he was forced to lay off three workers at his milling facility after operations ground to a halt due to lack of electricity.
“…I could not sustain them when the machines were not running. It was a difficult decision, but there was no alternative…,” he added.
The outage also disrupted the agricultural value chain in the area, especially among farmers benefiting from the Parish Development Model (PDM).
Many of these farmers rely on maize bran from local milling machines to feed livestock such as pigs.
“…without electricity, milling stopped completely, and farmers could not access feeds for their animals. It created serious challenges, especially for those who had invested in piggery projects…,” Dr. Odongo explained.
According to him, efforts to have power restored through the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) offices in Lira and Kampala initially yielded no results.
He said that after formally registering the complaint, he was informed that the transformer serving the area had developed a fault and required replacement.
However, he expressed frustration over what he described as limited responsiveness from the power distributor.
“…I made several attempts to follow up, including calling officials at the Lira branch, but the response was not forthcoming…,” he said.
The turning point came last Friday when Dr. Odongo shared the matter on a WhatsApp platform, drawing the attention of Col. (Rtd) Dr. John Francis Ongia, who is also a member of the group.
According to Dr. Odongo, Ongia took up the complaint and escalated it to the Office of the President through Gen. Salim Saleh, prompting swift intervention.
Ongia, in his communication on the matter, emphasised the need for timely response to service delivery challenges, noting that communities should not suffer prolonged outages over issues that can be resolved administratively.
“…this is a matter that required urgent attention. Our people cannot continue to suffer when solutions are within reach. Service providers must act promptly to address such challenges…,” Ongia reportedly said.
Dr. Odongo said the escalation prompted a response from Capt. Fred Mubiru, the Energy In-charge at the President’s Office, who contacted him to confirm receipt of the complaint and assured him that UEDCL Lira had been engaged to resolve the situation.
“…he told me the issue would be handled within the week, and indeed by Monday, power had been restored…,” Dr. Odongo said.
The restoration came just as the community had resolved to file a formal petition against UEDCL over the prolonged outage.
Dr. Odongo said he had urged residents to remain calm and hold off the petition following assurances that the matter was being handled.
“…by around 10am on Monday, we received power. The community was very relieved…,” he said.
Despite the restoration, residents say the blackout has exposed gaps in service delivery that need urgent attention.
They are now calling for improved efficiency, timely response to faults and stronger supervision within UEDCL to prevent similar incidents in future.
Attempts to obtain a comment from UEDCL Lira branch officials were unsuccessful by the time of publication.
