Government has put in place tough electricity protection laws; protecting against electricity or infrastructure like, transformer – thieves.

Electricity thieves will face shs 1Bn fine or 15 years imprisonment or both says government as per the penalties prescribed in the Electricity Amendment Act, 2022.

The Uganda electricity sector has suffered huge losses over the years due to electricity theft and vandalism of infrastructure by thieves for evil motive.

It was registered that in a span of two years , 260 billion was lost due to theft of electricity assets.

Theft of electricity and infrastructure causes a big challenge in electricity distribution causing some areas to stay in darkness due to vandalism of infrastructure like transformers .

There were many attempts in plenary sessions chaired by speaker Anita Among to lessen the penalty in mid April which pleas Attorney General Kiryowa Kiwanuka brushed insisting the punishment would serve its purpose thus befitting.

“When you are setting up penalty factors like these, anyone trying to vandalize electricity or energy infrastructure should know they are likely ending up in prison. If you give them shs.50.000 and they vandalize 10 transformers , they are capable of paying you. So for us we are telling you, you steal them, if you are not likely to get 1bn, you get 15 years. So it is a deterrent.” Mr. Kiryowa Kiwanuka.

Other law makers like the woman MP for Kiboga, Christine Kaaya seconded the law stating that the law will cure the ills in the electricity sector, hence better stability and supply of power across the country.

Courtesy photo.