The much-anticipated commissioning of the 600-megawatt Karuma Hydropower project and Karuma Interconnection project in Kiryandongo district is scheduled for Thursday afternoon. President Museveni is expected to preside over the event, marking the culmination of a project that has faced significant delays.
Once operational, the dam is projected to boost Uganda’s electricity capacity to a substantial 2000 megawatts. According to Energy Minister Ruth Nankabirwa, the commissioning will bring closer the government’s goal of universal power access by 2030.
“Every time that we add on to power, we instill hope into Ugandans that they will finally see their villages being lit,” the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa said.
The Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL), the government agency overseeing the project, announced in May that it had successfully synchronized all six units of the dam during capacity tests. This milestone brought the long-awaited commissioning within reach.
Construction of the Karuma Hydropower project began in December 2013 at an estimated cost of USD 1.7 billion.