Abstract:
Electricity is such an important utility that has transformed communities by empowering them
financially through different activities that generate income (World Bank, 2015). Without
electricity, many communities struggle to obtain the resources necessary to lift themselves out of
a static state which greatly impacts people’s lives. Rural communities have a genuine and
justifiable need for electricity (World Bank, 2016). These communities want to use electricity in
relatively small quantities in order to: pump water, transport commodities, engage in income
generating activities, practice modernized healthcare, and increase available light to extend work
and leisure hours. Unfortunately, the road to achieving electrification is complex and costly.
Currently, Uganda’s electricity sector is in flux: after the passage of the 1999 Electricity Act
private enterprise was introduced into all aspects of the sector. Since that time, problems with
power theft, insufficient supply, geographic isolation, and high infrastructure costs have inhibited
rural communities from gaining access to electricity (RESP, 2013). This paper attempts to
uncover some of the major challenges of making electricity accessible in Uganda, a developing
country with a large rural population. Information was obtained through site visits, area
appraisals, interviews with key informants, and general observation. The subsequent sections
provide a reasonably extensive overview of the electricity sector in Uganda; foundational
information that is necessary if one is to truly understand the electricity situation. Two case
studies were covered in this study and these were; Rural Sanga Sub County and Sanga Town
Council with their challenges as far as electrification is concerned. The final section contains
recommendations for making electricity more accessible to rural Ugandans, based on the
information gathered during the research period.
Access to electricity has been revealed to fast-track occasions for communities by moving them
into more profitable exercises, however whether development in financial results likewise norms
from change gender standards and practices inside the family unit stays indistinct (Kaijuka,
2017). This study analyses the linkages between electricity access and communities’
strengthening. The study revealed that electricity access improves all indicators of communities
strengthening. The results showed that income and assets values are higher in Electricity users
compared to Household with no access to electricity, the total hours used up in those home-based
accomplishments are less for Electricity users compare to electricity non-users and electricity
users are more likely to use contraception methods. This study suggests that electric energy
access can be a significant for policy makers aimed at improving communities for social
transformation.
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