UMEME says it has lost Sh6b in greater Mbarara to Vandalism this year
The Police and Umeme enforcement teams in Greater Mbarara on Thursday spent the better part of the day in running battles with residents over illegal power connections.
The operation dubbed “Komboa” begun from Kitooma 1, Kyera and Kiboona in Isingiro District. It was characterized by scenes of resistance and verbal altercations between the enforcement teams and culprits, who accused Umeme of being the accomplices in procuring illegal connections in the area.
Komboa is Swahili for ‘Redeem’, and in Umeme’s case, the operation is aimed at redeeming the network from illegal users and operators, and will involve identifying illegal connections, disconnecting them, arresting and prosecuting the culprits.
26 residents of Kitooma 1, Kyera and Kiboona in Isingiro District who evaded arrest argue that many people in the area cannot afford the cost of power hence resorting to taping onto the power line.
They argued that such operations can hardly solve the problem of power theft. They challenged the suppliers to instead consider a reduction on the tariffs to make it affordable to the consumers.
In many areas, residents abandoned their homes in fear of arrest, but the enforcement teams went ahead to recover the connection equipment including meters.
Christine Namutebi, the Metering Services Manager at UMEME, indicates that they are on a countrywide operation to reduce the power losses through unscrupulous customers.
According to Namutebi, their assessment teams identified the greater Mbarara region as one of the areas that post the high figures of power loss to a tune of 6 Billion Shillings.
Elly Tugeine, the Mbarara City Internal Security Officer called for combined effortd towards fighting such acts in the region and he indicated that besides fighting theft, they also intend to use the operation to check on dangerous electricity connections in the area for purposes of eliminating fatalities related to power.
He also warned the Umeme Staff against involving themselves in any criminality during the operations
The current Electricity Act gives a maximum penalty of two million shillings in fine or three-year jail sentence to offenders convicted of power theft and illegal connection. Below the maximum the law providers for lighter sentences of caution and community services to culprits of offences related to electricity theft.
However, the current law is undergoing review by stakeholders, with proposals of making it more punitive to offenders.
