By Guest Writer
Opinion: Uganda is among the countries across the world that is blessed with renewable energy sources. The country has a very high solar capacity of eight hours of sunshine, which represents a huge potential for off-grid solar power development.
Although available reports indicate that 57.2% of Ugandans have access to electricity in urban areas and 10% in rural areas, the majority of Ugandans that live in rural areas lack access to clean, reliable, and affordable electricity.
It should be noted that people in rural areas are the most vulnerable and cannot afford the inconsistently high electricity tariffs and connection fees.
The Uganda National Household Survey 2019/20209 (UNHS) indicates that 21% of the people live below the poverty line, which clearly shows that the people cannot afford the grid-based electricity that requires monthly bills.
Therefore, the government of Uganda, through the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, should prioritize investment in off-grid solar power access, especially to rural communities across all parts of the country, and this will enable the country to achieve its target of ensuring electricity access of 60% by 2030, as indicated in the Uganda Vision 2030.
In addition, the government of Uganda and development partners should also establish programs to lower the financing barriers to energy for private companies and others that work to extend solar power services to rural areas across the country.
This will help to lower the pressure on the few remaining forests in Uganda because over 90% of the people still depend on firewood and charcoal to meet their energy needs.
Last but not least, I argue that our government should accelerate its efforts to utilize the abundant renewable energy resources, which include hydropower, biomass, geothermal, and wind energies, which are clean, reliable, affordable, accessible, and climate-friendly, which ultimately boost major economic activities like agriculture and manufacturing, among others, which are essential for economic development.
The author is Comfort Tusingwire, a climate enthusiast and an environmental economist.
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