Bukoba Region to be connected now to national grid come 2018

The Energy and Minerals Minister, Prof Sospeter Muhongo

 The government yesterday assured residents of Kagera Region that they would be connected to the national grid by 2018, contrary to the current situation whereby they get power from neighboring Uganda.

 

The Energy and Minerals Minister, Prof Sospeter Muhongo made the assurance during his visit  in the region last week. Muhongo was in the region to inspect power infrastructures.

 

The imported power from Uganda was said to be unstable due to frequent power cuts, that costs Tanzania Electric Supply Company Limited (TANESCO) dearly as it’s forced to use stand-by generators to meet power demand in the region.

 

Prof. Muhongo directed Tanesco to speed up procedures of linking Kagera Region into the National Grid.

 

"I call on Tanesco to ensure you speed up the process of linking the region with the national grid, so that people get reliable power,” the minister stressed.

 

According to Prof  Muhongo, by 2025 Tanzania will have transformed into a middle-income country, in which more investments will see more reliable power supply.

 

The minister also ordered Tanesco to ensure that once the contract to sell  and buy   power between Tanzania and Uganda comes to an end they should also put in place strategies that would make power available in the transitional period.

 

Explaining on the status of power in the region, Tanesco’s Lake zone manager, Eng Amos Maganga said right now Tanzania bought power from Uganda at US$8.4 cent per unit.

 

He said that Tanzania had a  entered into a contract to buy  10 megawatt from Uganda, the amount that supplied electricity to  Bukoba Urban, Rural, Karagwe, Muleba and Misenyi districts..