There are 13 Islands and 52 gazetted landing sites in the district, However, Lolwe; Sigulu and Bukana form Bukoli Island County and has for years have been the most disadvantaged due to lack of electricity and other utilities.
3,783
households and businesses in Lolwe Island in Bukoli Sub-County, Namayingo
District have been connected on the hybrid solar mini-grid of 600kw
capacity.
There are 13
Islands and 52 gazetted landing sites in the district, However, Dolwe, Sigulu
and Bukana form Bukoli Island County and has for years have been the most disadvantaged
due to lack of electricity and other utilities.
Launched on
Friday by the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, the Lolwe Island
mini-grid project that started in 2017 is now delivering reliable and renewable
electricity to 3,026 households and 757 businesses.
Suleiman
Mukabire, the Chairperson of Kandege village says solar power has started to
boost local businesses and improve the livelihoods of several youths who are
employed in small scale enterprises.
//Cue in;
“Batuwa amasanyaraze…
Cue out…okukola ki, okuberao.”//
According to
Jackson Baraza, one of the advocates of renewable energy on the Island asserts
that the mini-grid is offering cheap access to electricity and the
beneficiaries are paying 14,000 Shillings compared to the past when they would
pay for private generators at 3,000 shillings for lighting each bulb in their
homes.
//Cue in; “Just looking at…
Cue out…been affected positively.”//
The LCV Chairperson
Namayingo Ronald Sanya pointed out that the Dolwe Island community have already
started to develop and transform their livelihoods.
//Cue in; “This is a great…
Cue out…neglected communities.”//
The Minister
of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa, who officiated
the commissioning of the multi-million solar power plant, which includes an
industrial park for preserving fish, and water purification rallied the
residents to embrace modern energy technology.
//Cue in;
“We have modern …
Cue out…the tariffs, no heating.”//
Nankabirwa
revealed that the integrated multi-utility investment cost the
Government at least 3.2 billion Shillings in subsidies under the rural
electrification programme.
Access to electricity
in Lowe Island aims to address the rural population’s urgent need to access energy
and clean water covered 45 kilometres of the electricity network, of which 21
kilometres was medium voltage and 24 kilometres low voltage, and a total of 18
transformers.
Currently, Dolwe’s population stands at 15,000 people but the hybrid solar
mini-grid targets 300,000 households by 2024 in fulfilment of Vision 2040 and
the UN’s Sustainable Development Goal number 7.
Ochola's journalism career begun from Radio King 90.2 FM in Gulu around 2009, and Radio Rupiny 95.7 Fm under Vision Group in 2012. He also reported for Mighty Fire 91.5 Fm, Kitgum in 2015 before joining Wizarts Foundation in 2017.
He has been reporting for Uganda Radio Network (URN) since 2017 before being posted as Bureau Chief Kitgum, and latr Gulu between 2018 - 2021. Currently, he reports from Parliament.
