Balimwezo Wants Electricity Tariffs Cut Before Coal Phase-Out

What the report says

Kampala Lord Mayor Ronald Balimwezo Nsubuga has called on the Ugandan government to lower electricity tariffs and improve access to affordable power before moving ahead with plans to phase out coal or other traditional fuel use. In remarks reported by Nile Post, he argued that households, businesses and industries are more likely to switch to cleaner energy if electricity is affordable and dependable.

Balimwezo’s message focused on the cost barrier facing Uganda’s energy transition. He warned that high power prices could discourage consumers from abandoning charcoal and other conventional fuels, especially at a time when many are already dealing with elevated energy expenses. The concern, as presented in the report, is that climate and clean-energy goals may be harder to achieve if the alternatives remain too expensive for ordinary users.

The comments were made in Kampala and highlight a broader policy tension in Uganda: balancing environmental objectives with the need to keep power accessible for economic activity and everyday use. The article frames the issue as part of a wider debate over how quickly cleaner energy can be adopted without placing additional pressure on consumers and producers.

More generally, energy-transition debates in many countries often center on similar trade-offs between affordability, supply reliability and emissions reduction. In this case, Balimwezo is urging that tariff relief come first, so that the shift away from coal or traditional fuels does not deepen financial strain for businesses and households.