However, Abel Ssembajjwe, the Masaka City Assistant Engineer, explains that due to challenges in maintaining the lights due to high power bills, the City Council decided in 2019 to uninstall all the LED lights until a more sustainable solution was found.
Two street lighting poles placed in one place along Edward Avenue in Masaka town, in a project the Ministry of Urban development as described as duplication.
Masaka City Council is
seeking at least Shillings 480 million to convert hydro-powered streetlights to
solar energy, aiming for sustainable utilization. In 2017, the then Urban
Council of Masaka Municipality received a grant of 3.6 billion Shillings from
the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development.
This grant was part of
a loan acquired by the government from the International Development Agency
(IDA) to extend the Kawanda-Masaka hydropower line project. The funds were
utilized to install hydro-powered lights on major streets and markets in the
area.
However, Abel Ssembajjwe, the Masaka City Assistant Engineer, explains
that due to challenges in maintaining the lights due to high power bills, the
City Council decided in 2019 to uninstall all the LED lights until a more
sustainable solution was found.
Ssembajjwe now proposes converting the 260
hydro-powered LED lights to solar energy to ensure effective functionality.
These lights, currently stored in city facilities, will supplement the
solar-powered lights obtained under the Uganda Support to Municipal
Infrastructure Development (USMID) projects recently implemented in the area.
Additionally, part of the funds will be allocated to repair existing solar
streetlights that have been vandalized or have exceeded their lifespan.
//Cue in: “tulina ekirowoozo…..
Cue out: …. battery ezo mpya.”//
Florence Namayanja, the Masaka City Mayor,
states that they anticipate funding the project from their local revenue
collection budget. She criticizes their predecessors for accepting
hydro-powered streetlights that were difficult to maintain.
Once converted, the
lights will be installed in satellite trading centers outside the city's
central business area. Before the removal of the hydro-powered streetlights,
Masaka Municipal Council faced a monthly expense of 26 million Shillings in
electricity bills, surpassing the anticipated 14 million Shillings.
