Uganda Could Face Load Shedding Within One Year, Tanna Warns

What the report says

Trade Minister Sanjay Tanna has cautioned that Uganda could face electricity load shedding within about a year if power generation and alternative energy investments do not grow quickly enough to match rising industrial demand. His comments, reported by Nile Post, came during the fifth Presidential CEOs Forum, where government officials and private-sector leaders discussed business conditions and industrial expansion.

Tanna said increasing electricity use by factories and new investments is putting pressure on the national grid. He urged closer coordination between the trade and energy ministries and called on large consumers such as steel and cement producers to install rooftop solar systems and use net metering so any surplus power can support the grid. He pointed to examples such as National Enterprise Corporation’s facility at Independence Grounds and GenTex in Nintono as proof that such projects can work.

Prime Minister Robinah Nabbanja said government recognizes the need to expand electricity generation and infrastructure alongside industrial growth. She also linked wider industrial plans to transport upgrades, including railway projects meant to reduce logistics costs. A broader point raised at the forum was that Uganda’s push for industrialisation depends on affordable, reliable power, along with better financing and lower business costs.

Business representatives, including Presidential CEOs Forum Managing Director Den Kayemba and National Planning Authority Executive Director Joseph Muvawala, said firms still face barriers such as expensive credit, delayed government payments and high production costs. Their comments underscored the report’s central warning: without enough power and supportive investment conditions, Uganda’s industrial ambitions could outpace the country’s ability to supply electricity.