Over 300 suppliers on Wednesday attended the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) Supplier Conference 2024, at the Golf Course Hotel in Kampala where they discussed the partnerships, success and how to improve services in the country.
UEDCL, the distributor of Electric power to domestic and commercial end-users in Uganda, was incorporated on April 1, 2001 as a successor distribution company following the unbundling of the Uganda Electricity Board (UEB). The company is 100% owned by the Government of Uganda (GoU) through the Privatization Unit of the Ministry of Finance Planning and Economic Development (MoFPED).
Commissioner Julius Namusanga Wamala who represented the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD) Dr. Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu, highlighted the opportunities in the distribution sector
‘’One such opportunity was the recently launched national energy scale-up project, which will power communities and provide opportunities for the private sector. Accordingly, the conference’s timing is perfect, and you should learn important lessons from it’’,said Wamala.
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Wamala further hailed UEDCL for initiating the involvement of suppliers, acknowledging their critical role in preserving a stable distribution system that can meet Ugandan society’s growing demands, conveying the minister’s appreciation to the suppliers for their significant attendance at these kinds of events, which raise awareness of procurement-related issues and facilitate better work performance.
Mr Paul Mwesigwa, the UEDCL managing director, expressed gratitude to the National Social Security Fund (NSSF), Uganda Revenue Authority (URA), Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), Public Procurement and Disposal of Assets (PPDA), and Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development for attending the supplier’s conference in 2024.
“Thank you also for the fantastic turnout, UEDCL suppliers. We are confident that many things will have changed in our procurement procedures by the end of today’s sessions’’, said Mwesigwa, adding that company now has a license from ERA to provide power in ten service territories across the country. He added that UEDC also manages and administers the Government of Uganda wooden pole facility in the Lugogo Industrial Area.
Mwesigwa shared the overview of UEDCL’s past, present and future making it quite evident that the corporation is expanding quickly, which means that there are prospects for the private sector along the same axis. According to Mr. Mwesigwa, who was looking ahead, UEDCL procurements will total $2 trillion by 2025.
‘’As a result, it’s critical that you get ready and reiterate the company’s procurement values, which include governance, on-time payments, and high-quality products’’, he added.
At the event, DFCU and Stanbic Bank Uganda Limited, the two banking partners of the UEDCL Supplier Conference were also recognized.
It should be noted that the Operations of UEDCL are governed by the Electricity Act, 1999 (CAP 145 Laws of Uganda). It has got an asset ownership License issued on March 1, 2005 from Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) to own facilities for the distribution network up to 33kV.
