CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR ELECTRICITY ACCESS IN RURAL UGANDA: A CASE STUDY OF SANGA SUB COUNTY AND SANGA TOWN COUNCIL

Abstract

This paper explores the challenges and opportunities for electricity access in rural Uganda, with a focus on Sanga Sub County and Sanga Town Council. Despite the transformative effects of electricity on communities' financial empowerment, its availability remains limited in many developing countries, including Uganda. The paper provides a comprehensive overview of the electricity sector in Uganda and discusses the major obstacles hindering rural electrification, including power theft, insufficient supply, geographic isolation, and high infrastructure costs. Using site visits, area appraisals, interviews with key informants, and general observation, the paper analyzes the linkages between electricity access and communities' strengthening, revealing that electricity access improves income, asset values, and household productivity while also facilitating the use of modernized healthcare and contraception methods. The paper concludes with recommendations for making electricity more accessible to rural Ugandans and suggests that electric energy access can be a significant factor in improving communities for social transformation.