Kampala, Uganda | By Michael Wandati | The Ministry of Energy, led by Ruth Nankakbirwa, has set a deadline for the discontinuation of outdated Yaka payment meters in Uganda.
The country, along with others in the region, is transitioning its prepaid electric metering system to the globally recognized Standard Transfer Specification technology. This advancement allows consumers to seamlessly switch electricity payments between utility providers.
In a recent announcement at the Uganda Media Centre, Ruth Nankabirwa informed journalists that prepaid electricity users must migrate to the new technology by October 2024.
The upcoming electricity meters will replace the existing Token Identifiers (TID), with South Africa’s operators indicating that TIDs will expire in November 2024.
The Ministry aims to have all of Uganda’s electricity consumers using the new Token Identification System (TID Rollover) by October 2024, ensuring uninterrupted power supply unit purchases.
This move aligns with President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s commitment to reducing electricity costs, a crucial element for Uganda’s industrialization and socioeconomic transformation.
Also Read: Uganda sets new electricity tariffs for 2024
During his end-of-year address, President Museveni directed the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development to decrease power costs, especially for manufacturers, to 5 cents per unit from the previous 8.7 cents. He also emphasized support for the manufacturing sector to directly purchase electricity from government power plants with competitive rates.
Dr. Sarah Kanaabi Wasagali, Chairperson of the Electricity Regulatory Authority, noted that the Authority reviewed annual tariffs between September and November 2023, following applications from key players in the sector. The Energy Policy for Uganda 2023 aims to achieve a capacity target of 52,481MW by 2040, accompanied by an 80% grid access rate.
