West Nile continues to generate far more electricity than it consumes. According to the latest report from the West Nile Rural Electrification Company (WENRECo), peak demand in the region reaches only 9 megawatts, while available capacity stands at 145 megawatts. This significant gap highlights a region whose electricity consumption remains extremely low despite substantial government investments in power infrastructure.

The sub-region now has over 37,000 electricity connections, yet most are domestic households with minimal usage. As of October last year, there were only four large-scale industrial connections, 39 medium-sized industries, and 622 commercial users—numbers far too small to meaningfully absorb the available electricity.

To overcome past challenges of insufficient supply, President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni last year commissioned the 289km Kole–Gulu–Nebbi–Arua 132kV Transmission Line, together with associated substations in Kole, Gulu, Nebbi, and Arua, effectively linking West Nile to the National Electricity Grid. WENRECo General Manager Eng. Kenneth Kigumba stated that power is now supplied to the entire region from Muni Substation, yet utilization remains very low.

Due to the limited peak demand, WENRECo dispatches only the small amount of electricity required by customers, leaving the surplus idle at Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) substations. The company hopes to increase demand by attracting more users, noting that underutilized power continues to constrain revenue.

Local leaders and stakeholders are calling on investors to take advantage of the region’s stable and adequate electricity supply, which had long been lacking. Zombo District Chairperson James Oruna Oyullu encouraged prospective investors to establish industries capable of handling heavy operations using the available power.

Arua Resident City Commissioner Betty Otekat highlighted the need for collaboration among different actors to ensure communities fully benefit from the infrastructure that has been put in place.

Meanwhile, WENRECo also transmits its surplus electricity to Moyo and Adjumani districts through an interconnection in Yumbe District, supporting the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) in maintaining supply.