NICHOLAS KIIZA: Unlocking Uganda’s Energy Future: Transmission as the Next Frontier

What the report says

Watchdog Uganda published an opinion article by Nicholas Kiiza, Executive Vice President for Energy and Infrastructure at Stanbic Bank Uganda, arguing that Uganda’s next major energy challenge is no longer only power generation but the transmission network needed to move electricity reliably to users. The article says discussions at the Africa Energy Forum 2026 in Cape Town reflected a wider shift across Africa toward grid infrastructure as a key condition for industrialisation, regional electricity trade and universal access.

Kiiza notes that Uganda has expanded generation in recent years, including through the Isimba and Karuma hydropower projects, but says weak or insufficient transmission can leave capacity underused. He links grid expansion to industrial parks, agro-processing, rural electrification and participation in the East African Power Pool. The article also says electricity access in Uganda remains below 60%, making transmission investment central to broader development goals.

A major focus is the Amari project, described in the article as Africa’s first Independent Transmission Project to reach financial close. Developed by Gridworks, the project is presented as a test case for bringing private capital into transmission infrastructure, a role historically dominated in Uganda by the state through the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited. Kiiza credits the Electricity Regulatory Authority, UETCL and Gridworks with helping create a framework intended to manage risk, tariffs and investor confidence.

The article frames Amari as significant beyond Uganda, suggesting it could show that transmission projects can be structured in a way that attracts long-term financing. Kiiza argues that scaling such models would help Uganda reduce system losses, improve reliability, support renewable integration and strengthen its position in East Africa’s power market.