President Museveni presides over the launch of three infrastructural projects in Arua

President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has today 25 October 2020, presided over the launch of three mega infrastructural projects in in Arua district.

The President officiated at the ground-breaking ceremony for the 132kv Kole-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua transmission line, commissioned Electro-Maxx thermal power plant and also opened Arua Agriculture Value Addition Facility.

The 132kV Kole-Gulu-Nebbi-Arua Transmission Project, which will evacuate electricity from Karuma, Agago and Nyagak dams, will make electricity supply in West Nile more reliable and connect the region to the national grid.

The Government of Uganda intends to extend the national grid to the West Nile region of Uganda and increase the transmission capacity in the Northern region. This is part of the Government’s efforts to meet the growing demand for electricity and improve both the coverage and reliability of electricity supply in the region.

 

On the other hand, the Arua Agriculture Value Addition Facility, a Ministry of Local Government project, will process 250,000kg of cereals per day. According to the officials, farmers need to be engaged in more grain production to optimally use the facility.

West Nile expects to reap Shs15 billion annually from this project which will involve 30,000 farmers who previously grew tobacco but have now changed to food crops, especially cereals.

With electricity supply to West Nile increasing and stabilising, more factories will set up home in this sub-region, especially considering its proximity to markets of DR Congo and South Sudan. 

 

The President remarked that Some people had tried to politicise the issue of electricity supply to West Nile but reality was that government did not have enough money. However, as revenues improve, you can see that we are upgrading the infrastructure and it will get better.

The President also congratulated the management of Electro-Maxx led by Mr Patrick Bitature, who have set up an 8MW thermal power plant in Arua. This will complement government's efforts to power the region and industrialise it.