Electricity in Africa: the politics of transformation in Uganda

202 Pages·2017·8.651 MB·English

by  Gore, Christopher D

african issues
• Why is improving access to electricity in sub-Saharan Africa so G
O
difficult?
R ELECTRICITY
E
• What are the political barriers to energy transformation?
•

• Can sub-Saharan Africa reduce energy poverty to further its own
E
L
development? E
C IN AFRICA
T
No country has managed to develop beyond a subsistence economy R
I
without at least minimum access to electricity for the majority of its C
I
population. Yet many sub-Saharan African countries struggle to meet T
Y
demand. Gore examines the politics and processes surrounding
I
electricity infrastructure, provision and reform, including the shifting N The Politics of Transformation in Uganda

role of national governments and multilateral agencies. Drawing on A
F
extensive research in Uganda, which has one of the lowest levels of R
access to electricity in Africa and has struggled to construct several I
C
large hydroelectric dams on the Nile, he argues that there is a critical A
need to recognize how the changing political and social context T
h
affects the capacity to fulfil national energy goals, to minimize energy e

P
poverty and transform economies. o
lit
‘... should appeal to scholars not only of energy and electricity policy ic
s

but also of socio-technical transitions and African studies. What is o
f
particularly impressive is the attention to the micro-politics of T
r
electricity sector reform processes in Uganda whilst drawing on an an
s
impressively eclectic range of theoretical resources.’ – Peter Newell, f
o
Professor of International Relations, University of Sussex rm
a
t
Christopher D. Gore is Associate Professor, Department of Politics and io
n
Public Administration, Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
in

U
Cover photograph: Nalubaale Dam (formerly Owen Falls Dam), Nile River, Uganda, 2002.
g
© Christopher D. Gore a
n
d
a
JAMES CURREY
an imprint of Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge, Suffolk IP12 3DF (GB) and
668 Mt Hope Ave, Rochester NY 14620-2731 (US)
www.boydellandbrewer.com
CHRISTOPHER D. GORE
www.jamescurrey.com
AFRICAN ISSUES
Electricity
in Africa

Electricity in Africa.indb 1 17/07/2017 11:22
AFRICAN ISSUES
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Electricity in Africa.indb 2 17/07/2017 11:22
AFRICAN ISSUES
Electricity The Politics
in Africa of Transformation
in Uganda
CHRISTOPHER D. GORE

Electricity in Africa.indb 3 17/07/2017 11:22
James Currey
is an imprint of
Boydell & Brewer Ltd
PO Box 9, Woodbridge
Suffolk IP12 3DF (GB)
www.jamescurrey.com
and of
Boydell & Brewer Inc.
668 Mt Hope Avenue
Rochester, NY 14620-2731 (US)
www.boydellandbrewer.com
© Christopher D. Gore 2017
First published 2017
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, or by
electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems,
without permission in writing from the publishers, except by a reviewer who may
quote brief passages in a review.
The right of Christopher D. Gore to be identified as
the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with
sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available on request from the British Library
ISBN 978-1-84701-168-8 (James Currey paper)
ISBN 978-1-84701-169-5 (James Currey cloth)
The publisher has no responsibility for the continued existence or accuracy of URLs for
external or third-party internet websites referred to in this book, and does not guarantee
that any content on such websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
This book is printed on acid-free paper
Typeset in 9/11 Melior with Optima display
by Avocet Typeset, Somerton, Somerset TA11 6RT
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DEDICATION
This book is dedicated to all those working to improve access to
modern, sustainable energy in Uganda, and the citizens, particularly
women and children, waiting for clean, modern energy to arrive.
Electricity in Africa.indb 5 17/07/2017 11:22
Electricity in Africa.indb 6 17/07/2017 11:22
CONTENTS
List of Illustrations viii
Acknowledgements ix
List of Acronyms xiii
Introduction 1
1
Electricity, 12
Infrastructure
& Dams in Africa
2
The Politics A History 27
of Provision of Debate
& Reform
3
Privatization 64
& Electricity Sector
Reform
4
Dam-Building 106
& Electricity
in Contemporary
Uganda
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viii Contents
5
Electricity 145
& the Politics
of Transformation
Bibliography 159
Index 178
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Figures
1 Uganda currency circa 1979, showing Owen Falls Dam 20
2 Analytical framework for analysing energy pathways and policy
choices 25
3 Letter of complaint to UEB, April 1945 36
4 Letter of complaint to UEB, March 1945 37
5 Queen Elizabeth II visits Jinja for inauguration of the Owen
Falls Dam 43
6 Electricity Distribution Network 1954 46
7 Electricity Distribution Network 1961 47
Table
1 Guiding principles for energy sector reform, unbundling and
privatization 71
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
This book is a product of a great deal of institutional, family, and peer
support, both in Canada and in East Africa. My heartfelt thanks go to
the many people in Uganda and Kenya who have shared their knowl-
edge, time, stories, and reflections with me over many years. This book
would not have been possible without the patience of the many indi-
viduals and organizations willing to speak with me and to inform me
of events, debates, and challenges in the region. I would particularly
like to thank the many civil servants from various government and
quasi-government agencies who spoke with me and patiently answered
my questions, particularly in the Ministries of Energy and Minerals
Development; the Rural Electrification Agency, and the National Envi-
ronmental Management Authority. The subject of this book was and
remains controversial. As a result, I am very thankful for the honest and
open reflections offered by many people. I have tried to present their
perspectives as clearly and fairly as possible. Similarly, I appreciate the
candid perspectives offered by representatives of private energy firms
and the many representatives of bilateral and multilateral agencies who
met with me while in Uganda. All demonstrated a strong interest in
explaining the difficult challenges they encountered in the country.
Given the controversial aspects of this research subject, I also thank
the many non-government organizations in Uganda who met and spoke
with me. Despite their lack of resources, all were keen to discuss their
work and to share their knowledge. Many individuals and organiza-
tions deserve special thanks, including the National Association of
Professional Environmentalists (NAPE); the Advocates Coalition for
Development and Environment (ACODE); and International Rivers. I
also owe special thanks to the Centre for Basic Research in Kampala for
hosting me many years ago when I started this research, and to the late
Executive Director, Dr Bazaara Nyangabyaki.
I am also very thankful to the many citizens who spoke with me
informally about Uganda, and about their day-to-day challenges. My
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