Electricity Regulatory Authority chief executive, Frank Sebbowa, says since a comprehensive privatisation drive between 2001 and 2005 the country is ‘ripe’ for foreign investment.
Speaking at Power Summit 2011 in central London Mr Sebbowa said the country was developing a strong power base of mini hydros (about 20 megawatts) co-generation from agricultural waste and standalone photovoltaic.
However, the country does also have oil resources and has plans to generate about 80 megawatts of electricity from it.
Mr Sebbowa said: “We need to improve our infrastructure, last year Uganda suffered a drought which threatened 50% of our min-hydros.
“But at the same time there was wide-spread flooding Tanzania, but there was no infrastructure to swap resources.”
Mr Sebbowa went on to explain that last year Uganda set ambitious targets to generate 3500 megawatts of electricity by 2015.
He added that foreign investment and guidance was crucial to this making this target.
Luke Walsh