Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has commissioned new integration lines at the Maya Substation in a strategic move to strengthen electricity supply and eliminate persistent load shedding across key residential and industrial areas in central Uganda.
The emergency project, valued at $63,133, was implemented in partnership with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) to improve network reliability and create a more resilient power distribution system for communities west of Kampala.
The newly commissioned infrastructure links the 220kV/132kV/33kV Maya Substation to distribution networks serving Mutundwe and neighbouring areas, which had long relied on overloaded power feeders stretching through Busega, Nakawuka, Budo, and industrial zones along Masaka and Mityana roads.
According to UEDCL, the first phase of the project redirects and stabilises electricity supply to Mutundwe and Mitala Maria, significantly reducing pressure on a network that had become increasingly prone to faults and peak-hour overloads.
Eng. Samson Tondo, Head of Regional Engineering Services for UEDCL’s Central Service Territory, said customers connected to the Mutundwe network had endured frequent and predictable evening power outages.
He noted that the newly commissioned integration lines would immediately improve electricity reliability for thousands of customers.
“We want to assure our customers that with immediate effect they should experience a much more reliable power supply,” Tondo said.
He added that the project is expected to bring an end to recurring load shedding in the affected areas.
“We do not expect any more load shedding because of this project,” he said.
The completed works include the construction of 1,830 metres of overhead power line using 150 sqmm AAAC conductors and the installation of a 33kV air break switch connecting feeder routes between Mutundwe and Mitala Maria. The new configuration enables engineers to quickly isolate faults and switch electricity between feeders, limiting the extent and duration of outages.
UEDCL officials said the project is already fully operational and currently utilises only about 20 per cent of its installed capacity, leaving ample room to support future residential developments and expanding industrial demand.
Mpigi Area Manager Teddy Akeso described the Maya Substation as a transformative investment that has significantly improved the region’s electricity network.
She explained that under the previous arrangement, a single fault could interrupt power supply to customers from Nabingo all the way to Mitala Maria because of the long feeder lines.
“Establishing this substation in the middle of the network is a major improvement because it addresses the reliability challenges we have been experiencing,” Akeso said.
She revealed that the impact of the new system was almost immediate.
“Since the substation was commissioned, we have gone two consecutive nights without experiencing any load shedding,” she said.
Building on the success of the first phase, UEDCL announced plans to roll out a second phase that will reinforce electricity supply along the rapidly growing Mityana Road and Kakiri corridors, where rising industrial activity continues to increase demand for reliable power infrastructure.
The investment marks another step in Uganda’s efforts to modernise its electricity distribution network, improve service reliability, and support economic growth by providing stable power to households, businesses, and expanding industrial centres.
