Are you engaged in power theft?
The minister for Energy Ruth Nankabirwa Ssentamu has announced an extension of the national power-theft amnesty, popularly known as the Wetereze Campaign, to October 31, 2025 for you to clear up.
Nankabirwa described the initiative as both a safety and revenue-saving measure for government emphasizing that illegal connections and tampered meters deprive the electricity sector of critical revenue.
“This campaign provides electricity users with direct supply, bypassed, or tampered meters the opportunity to voluntarily regularise their connections without penalties,” she said.
The minister urged residents to take advantage of the amnesty before it closes at the end of October.
The campaign, which began on July 23, 2025 and was originally scheduled to end on September 30, was extended because of its strong public response: more than 22,900 Ugandans have voluntarily reported and regularized illegal or tampered electricity connections without incurring penalties.
She however issued a stern warning about rising vandalism of electricity infrastructure, pointing to increased incidents in areas such as Kololo, Mukono, Kayunga, Masaka, Mpigi, Luwero, Nakasongola, Mityana, Mubende and Mbarara.
Since government agencies took over the electricity distribution network from Umeme Limited earlier this year, the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has reported a series of infrastructure and service gains. UEDCL has expanded capacities at key substations, replaced 206 faulty transformers and connected about 140,000 new customers.
The utility has also secured land for new substations at Magyigye and Kawempe and is moving ahead with plans to refurbish substations, install additional transformers and expand medium-voltage lines before the end of 2025.
The minister highlighted that Uganda’s annual energy demand is rising at an estimated 10 percent, driven largely by industrial growth and new customer connections, and she acknowledged that investment in distribution slowed during the Umeme concession transition period, affecting reliability.