| ERA | |
 | |
| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 2000 |
| Jurisdiction | Uganda |
| Headquarters | New ERA House 5C-1 Third Street, Lugogo Industrial Area Kampala, Uganda |
| Agency executives |
|
| Parent agency | Uganda Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mineral Development |
| Website | Homepage |
The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) is a government agency that regulates, licenses, and supervises the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, export, and importation of electrical energy in Uganda. [2]
The offices of the ERA are located in the New ERA House at 5C-1 Third Street, Lugogo Industrial Area, Kampala Central Division, in the country's capital city. [3] The coordinates of New ERA House are 0°19'18.0"N 32°36'18.0"E (Latitude:0.321667; Longitude:32.605000). [4]
ERA was established in 2000, in accordance with the Electricity Act of 1999, as an agency of the Uganda Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mineral Development. This parastatal is governed by a five-member board, also known as the "Authority". The day-to-day affairs of the agency are supervised by the chief executive officer. Organizations and committees within the purview of the ERA include the Rural Electrification Board and the Electricity Consumer Committees. [5]
One of the responsibilities of the agency is the issuance of licenses to electricity wiremen/wirewomen in Uganda, who totaled nearly 2,000 as at November 2018. A member of the Authority also chairs a 5-person Installations Permit Committee, which s responsible for interviewing applicants for installation permits, processing of new permits, renewal of permits and undertaking disciplinary measures against permit holders who violate the terms and conditions of their permits. [6]
The authority is supervised by a board of directors, chaired by Richard Santo Apire. [7] The chief executive officer of the authority is Engineer Ziria Tibalwa Waako. [8]
In December 2021, the annual African Development Bank’s 2021 Electricity Regulatory Index selected Uganda's electricity sector as the best-regulated on the African continent, for the fourth consecutive year. By extension, Uganda's Electricity Regulatory Authority is the best electricity sector regulator in Africa, for four years running, according to the AfDB. [9] [10]
Burning of renewable resources provides approximately 90 percent of the energy in Uganda, though the government is attempting to become energy self-sufficient. While much of the hydroelectric potential of the country is untapped, the government decision to expedite the creation of domestic petroleum capacity coupled with the discovery of large petroleum reserves holds the promise of a significant change in Uganda's status as an energy-importing country.
The Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, also Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mineral Development is one of the governmental bodies of Uganda. The ministry has the function of developing and implementing policies related to electricity, minerals, petroleum and petroleum products. The ministry is part of the national cabinet and is headed by a cabinet minister. The current Cabinet Minister of Energy is [Hon. Ruth Ssentamu Nankabirwa].
Kira Town, a municipality in the Wakiso District of the Central Region of Uganda, is the country's second-largest city by population. It is administered by the Kira Town Council, an urban local government.
Umeme Limited is the largest energy distributor in Uganda, distributing about 97 percent of all electricity used in the country. The shares of the stock of the company are listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange (USE) and are cross listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE). As of December 2021, the company's total assets were approximately UGX:2.664 trillion, with shareholders' equity of approximately UGX:893.15 billion.
Kakira Power Station is a 52 megawatt bagasse-fired thermal power plant in the town of Kakira in Jinja District in the Eastern Region of Uganda.
The National Drug Authority (NDA) is a government-owned organisation in Uganda, mandated to regulate drugs in the country, including their manufacture, importation, distribution, and licensing.
The Petroleum Authority of Uganda (PAOU), also known as the Uganda National Petroleum Authority, is governmental organisation that regulates the petroleum industry in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community. Its responsibilities include licensing, regulation, supervision of exploration, harvesting, refining, marketing, and disposal of petroleum products in the country. Although owned by the Ugandan government, it is expected to act independently.
The Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) is a parastatal company whose primary purpose is to generate electric power for use in Uganda and for sale to neighboring countries. As of December 2017, UEGCL's generation capacity was 380 megawatts, with that capacity planned to increase to over 1,300 megawatts, by 2023.
The Uganda Retirement Benefits Regulatory Authority (URBRA) is a government-owned, semi-autonomous agency responsible for regulating, licensing, supervising, and controlling the retirement sector in Uganda, the third-largest economy in the East African Community. The authority is also responsible for issuing guidelines to allow the liberalization of the retirement sector in the country.
Kasirye Byaruhanga & Co Advocates is a Ugandan law firm headquartered in Kampala, the capital city of Uganda. It is a business law firm that was founded in 1991 by Andrew Kasirye and William Byaruhanga. The firm is part of Mackrell International, a global law firm network, and is active in litigation, with a substantial part of its practice also dedicated to transactional matters and retainer clients. The firm's advocates are members of various professional bodies, including the International Bar Association, the East African Law Society and the Uganda Law Society.
The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) is a parastatal company whose primary purpose is to make bulk electricity purchases and transmit the electricity along high-voltage wires to local and foreign distribution points. UETCL is the sole authorized national bulk energy purchaser and the sole authorized electricity importer and exporter in Uganda.
Eskom Uganda or Eskom Uganda Limited (EUL) is the largest generator of energy in Uganda and was incorporated in 2002 for a 20 year concession under a government regulatory framework.
Benon Mugisha Mutambi is a Ugandan economist and civil servant, who has served as the permanent secretary in the Uganda Ministry of Internal Affairs, since December 2016. Prior to his appointment to the interior ministry, he served as the chief executive officer of Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), the government agency responsible for the regulation of electricity tariffs in Uganda.
The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) is a parastatal company whose primary purpose is to distribute electric power to domestic and commercial end-users in Uganda, at and below 33 kiloVolts. This role was sub-leased to Umeme for a 20-year concession that ends in 2025.
Ziria Tibalwa Waako is a Ugandan electrical engineer and corporate executive, who serves as the executive director and chief executive officer of the Electricity Regulatory Authority, since November 2016. She replaced Benon Mutambi, who was appointed the Permanent Secretary of the Uganda Ministry of Internal Affairs. For the first four months, from November 2016 until March 2017, she served in an acting capacity, until her confirmation on 27 March 2017.
The Uganda Microfinance Regulatory Authority (UMRA) is a government agency responsible for the licensing, supervision and regulation of Tier-4 micro finance institutions, money lenders, savings cooperatives and any money-lending institution with capital of less than USh500 million (US$140,000). Tier-4 institutions are those that do not accept financial deposits and are not under the supervision of the Bank of Uganda, the central bank and national banking regulator.
The Xsabo Nkonge Power Station is a US$22 million 20 MW/AC solar power plant in Uganda that has been registered by the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) in the national gazette for the implementation process following license issuance on 28 September 2020.
Electricity Regulatory Authority House, also New ERA House, is a commercial office building constructed between June 2018 and September 2021, in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, and the largest city in that country. The building serves as the headquarters of Electricity Regulatory Authority, (ERA), the Uganda government agency responsible for the regulation, licensing, and supervision of the generation, transmission, distribution, sale, export, and importation of electricity in that country.
