ERA Rallies Lira Leaders Against the ‘Cancer’ of Electricity Vandalism

ERA Rallies Lira Leaders Against the ‘Cancer’ of Electricity Vandalism.

Kasita Ibrahim and other ERA staff in a workshop at Good News Hotel Lira City on Tuesday. Photo credit/Okidi Ocamoyitdyel.

By Okidi Patrick

The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) has challenged political leaders in Lira City to spearhead a grassroots campaign against electricity vandalism, describing the vice as a “cancer” undermining the country’s energy stability.

Addressing over 60 local leaders at a sensitization workshop at Good News Hotel, ERA’s Principal Stakeholder Engagement Officer, Ibrahim Kasita, urged councilors and executive members to advocate for behavioral change within their constituencies.
“Given your status as leaders, go to your communities and advocate for change regarding how electricity infrastructure is treated,” Kasita said. He further directed leaders to sensitize the public on security, advising residents to demand identification from anyone seen climbing electric poles.
The engagement comes amid growing frustration over power reliability. Adyebo Oyee, the councilor for Anai Ward in Lira City West, noted that his area has been without stable power for three weeks. While acknowledging the NRM government’s efforts in extending the national grid, Oyee tasked the regulator to ensure the quality of equipment. He specifically urged ERA to source durable transformers from Germany to replace what he characterized as less reliable alternatives.
Lira City Deputy Resident City Commissioner (RCC), Joan Apio, commended ERA’s outreach efforts but emphasized the need for a tighter alliance with security agencies to curb the criminal trade. She pledged her office’s support in the crackdown and advised ERA to intensify public sensitization through radio talk shows and digital media platforms.
The workshop at Good News Hotel followed a similar engagement held on Tuesday at Uganda Technical College (UTC) Lira, where officials interacted with student engineers.
Established in 2000, ERA continues to grapple with the high costs of replacing vandalized assets. Meanwhile, Johnson Kizza, a meter engineer at UEDCL Lira territory office, appealed for public patience, noting that the authority is currently working through a significant backlog of pending power connections.