The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) has said effective regulation of Uganda’s electricity sector is critical to expanding access, supporting investment and providing the power needed to drive economic transformation.
Eng. Peter Kakeeto, the Acting Director of Technical Compliance and Monitoring at ERA, said the regulator’s role spans licensing, tariff-setting, compliance monitoring and regulation of electricity transmission and other licensed activities.
Kakeeto made the remarks during the fourth edition of the Uganda Institution of Professional Engineers (UIPE) Voice, held under the theme “Powering Uganda’s Future: Regulation for a Reliable Power Sector.”
“ERA sits at the centre and has the mandate to regulate the electricity sector,” Kakeeto said.
He explained that the electricity supply industry involves the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, ERA and various utilities and licensees involved in generation, transmission and distribution.
The sector also includes private power generators, distribution companies serving areas such as West Nile, as well as small grids and mini-grid systems.
According to Kakeeto, ERA’s responsibilities include “setting tariffs, compliance, licensing projects and companies, and regulating transmission companies and their functions.”
In addition, regulation also involves working with other government institutions because electricity projects require compliance with standards, environmental and water-use requirements and, in some cases, specialised regulations governing geothermal and nuclear energy.
“We do not work alone,” Kakeeto said, citing the Uganda National Bureau of Standards, the National Environment Management Authority and the Directorate of Water Resources Management among institutions whose mandates intersect with the electricity sector.
He said the multidisciplinary nature of electricity regulation requires engineers and economists to work together, particularly in areas such as tariff-setting and investment planning.
ERA is also responsible for ensuring that electricity companies comply with the conditions attached to their licences. “Apart from licensing and tariffs, one of our functions is to ensure that licensees comply with the conditions attached to their licences,” he said.
Power and economic growth
Kakeeto’s presentation followed a call from Eng. Dr Martin Kalibbala, UIPE Vice President Finance and Administration, for engineers and other stakeholders to examine the role of electricity in Uganda’s economic ambitions.
“Uganda’s industries, industrial parks, your homes and everything around us are powered by hydroelectricity, solar power and other forms of energy,” Kalibbala said.
“But we are envisaging tenfold growth in the next few years… For us to achieve tenfold growth, we cannot discuss growth without discussing power.”
According to Kalibbala, the discussion should address the cost of electricity, reliability of supply and the ability of the power system to support increased industrial activity.
“What is the unit cost of producing power, and how much does it cost, for example, for industries?” he said.
Furthermore, he called for comparisons with other countries to understand how Uganda can address the cost of electricity as it pursues its economic ambitions.
Engineers seek stronger financial capacity
Godwin Aleni, Manager, UIPE Members Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisation (SACCO), said members should view the cooperative not simply as a savings platform but as a business they collectively own.
“The key point is that when you join the SACCO, the major thing is that you become a co-owner. By getting shares, you become a co-owner of the SACCO,” Godwin said.
The SACCO is seeking to build its financial base so that it can respond to the specific needs of engineers, particularly those who require expensive equipment to execute contracts.
“As we are all aware, engineers are always engaged in engineering contracts. But you find that, at the moment, there is a concern when an engineer takes up a contract, perhaps a site with several work areas,” he said.
Godwin noted that the cooperative wants to build sufficient financial capacity to acquire engineering equipment that can then be made available to members who face difficulties accessing such equipment from private providers.
“We believe that, as the SACCO grows its financial base, it will be able to access this equipment at a minimal cost,” he said.
UIPE focuses on membership and professional development
UIPE Vice President for Public Relations, Practice and Ethics, Eng. Zainab Mpakiraba, said the institution is also focusing on strengthening its membership and supporting engineers in their professional development.
According to her, UIPE membership had reached 11,049, with more than 900 members admitted and elected during the first four months of the current council term.
“That is almost 1,000 members, representing about 8.9 percent growth during this council term,” she said.
Additionally, the council has set a target of reaching 17,000 members by December 2028.
Zainab further pointed out that UIPE’s focus extends beyond increasing membership numbers to supporting engineers through career progression, professional development and stronger engagement across its branches.
“We would not want to see UIPE being strong only at the Secretariat or only in Kampala,” she said.
The institution has been conducting branch registration clinics to support engineers seeking enrolment and admission, alongside professional development programmes.
The programmes include a one-day virtual training and a one-month facility-led programme through which members receive support in preparing career and technical reports.
Technology and engineering solutions
Zainab also announced that UIPE will hold its National Technology Conference and Exhibition from December 2–3, 2026, at Silver Springs Hotel under the theme “Engineering Industrialisation for Value Addition.”
The conference will provide engineers with an opportunity to connect technical knowledge and practice with national development priorities, share innovations and showcase engineering work.
“These conferences are very important for UIPE because it is through them that we can connect engineering knowledge and practice to national development priorities and the agenda of the country,” she said.