Uganda is preparing to complete a high-voltage power transmission line that will link Kenya’s electricity grid to Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) next year.
However, Kenya has delayed for years to complete its side of the link due to a court tussle with the contractor, which will push back the overall project’s completion.
The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) says the construction of the 131-kilometre 220kV Bujagali – Tororo double circuit transmission line is 70 percent complete.
UETCL, a State-owned firm, which is implementing the project on behalf of the Ugandan government, has revealed in its annual report that it will complete the line next year.
The project is part of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Subsidiary Action Program, which seeks to boost power trade within the Nile Equatorial Les countries comprising Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, the DRC, Rwanda, Burundi, Ethiopia, Egypt, South Sudan and Sudan.
The programme is funded by the African Development Bank (AfDB), the Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica), Germany, the Netherlands and the European Union (EU).
The Interconnection of Electric Grids of the Nile Equatorial Lakes Countries Project is a sub-programme under NELSAP that seeks to connect the grids of Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, Uganda, and DRC to boost power access to millions of citizens residing in these countries that have no power access.
To complete the Kenya – Uganda circuit, Kenya is also required to build a 127 kilometre 400kV double circuit transmission line from Lessos in Nandi county to Tororo in Uganda.
The Sh8.16 billion project is being developed by the Kenya Electricity Transmission Company (Ketraco) on behalf of the Kenyan government.
The line will be an alternative to the existing decades-old link between Kenya and Uganda that has been allowing the two countries to sell power to each other to address generation shortages.
The project, however, ran into headwinds after Ketraco cancelled the contract it had awarded Spanish firm Instalaciones Inabensa SA in 2016 before completion of works, leading to a fierce court battle with the contractor.
Arbitrators would later order Ketraco to pay the Spanish firm €30,887,820.39 (Sh4.31 billion) in damages and €6,477,870.77 (Sh905.7 million) in interest.
By the time Ketraco was cancelling the contract, the Spanish firm had completed 50 percent of the works on the transmission line and 61 percent of the work on a substation.
The delay in contracting for the project afresh means that Uganda will likely complete its interconnector ahead of Kenya, which will delay the completion of the project.
Besides the NELSAP programme, countries within the region are seeking to connect their grids under the Eastern Africa Power Pool (EAPP).
Established in 2005, the EAPP is a regional institution that was formed to coordinate cross-border power trade and grid interconnection among nations. The regional body has been having the 30th Steering Committee meeting in Nairobi.
EAPP wants to begin energy auctions by December 31, 2024, and is developing rules that will enable the 13 countries to trade electricity with each other where the cheapest supplier is picked.
