There was jubilation on Thursday among residents of Kahondo Parish in Maziba Sub-county, Ndorwa East Constituency in Kabale District, as they celebrated the official launch of a community-driven hydropower grid extension project, which they say they had waited for more than 12 years.
For more than a decade, residents say they have lived without electricity despite being close to a power station, forcing them to endure darkness and limiting economic activities and development in the area.
The turning point came several months ago when Lyamujungu SACCO’s Kahondo branch, faced with the rising cost of maintaining unreliable solar systems and generators, explored alternative ways of securing a more reliable source of power for its operations.
According to Lyamujungu SACCO board chairperson Stanley Abomugisha and general manager Dick Byamukama, the idea followed a Shs12 million quotation to upgrade the SACCO’s solar system.
They said the SACCO later discovered that it could instead extend the national electricity grid from Kamuhigi Village, where the power station is located, to its Kahondo branch at a cost of about Shs20 million.
The SACCO then partnered with the Kahondo-Rugarama community after recognising the challenges faced by Kahondo Health Centre III, which has struggled to provide maternal healthcare and computer-based services without reliable electricity.
Under the 50-50 cost-sharing arrangement, the SACCO and residents each contributed Shs13.5 million, raising the Shs27 million required to extend electricity to the health facility and surrounding areas.
CUE IN ABOMUGISHA AND BYAMUKAMA….ON THE MATTER…RR/ENG//
Residents, including Annah Kamusiime, Geoffrey and Buragarama Parish LC2 chairperson Justus Twinomusasizi, expressed relief, saying the prolonged lack of electricity had hindered employment opportunities and slowed development in the area.
They said it was particularly frustrating to remain without electricity while living near a power-generating facility that supplies electricity to other areas.
CUE IN RESIDENTS…ON ELECTRICITY… RR//
Kahondo Health Centre III in-charge Francis Twinomuhangi and Maziba Sub-county LC5 male councillor Moses Bikorwomuhangi praised the partnership, saying the project would help address the longstanding electricity gap that has affected Kahondo Parish and neighbouring Kavu and Nyanja parishes.
CUE IN TWINOMUHANGI AND BIKORWOMUHANGI….ON THE PARTNERSHIP….RR/ENG//
Meanwhile, Christopher Byaruhanga, a representative of Araali Technical Services, the company contracted to undertake the grid extension, said the poles had already been mapped from Kamuhigi Village through Kahondo Trading Centre to the health facility.
He said the project is expected to be completed within two to three months.
