Construction has started on a major transmission line intended to strengthen Uganda's electricity infrastructure and support industrial growth in the east and Greater Kampala area. The Karuma-Tororo 400kV transmission project will connect the 600-megawatt Karuma Hydropower Plant to a new substation near the Uganda-Kenya border in Tororo, spanning approximately 346 kilometres of double-circuit transmission line. It will also include associated substations and a 132/33kV substation at Ntinda in Kampala, according to the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL).
Sweden's Ambassador to Uganda, Anna-Maria Olsson, said the project demonstrates the value of international partnerships in strengthening Uganda's electricity infrastructure. "This project is testimony to what can be accomplished through partnership to overcome common challenges. It brings together Swedish capital and technical expertise with Ugandan ambition to advance sustainable energy development. This will, in turn, enable the expansion of Uganda's industrial and productive capacity," Olsson said. She added that Sweden looked forward to deepening cooperation with Uganda in the energy sector through capacity building, renewable energy development, grid infrastructure, and project financing.
According to UETCL, the infrastructure is intended to strengthen the national transmission grid, improve power supply to eastern Uganda and the Greater Kampala area, and facilitate electricity trade with neighbouring countries. The project is expected to help address Uganda's transmission challenges by providing another high-voltage transmission route from Karuma while improving the grid's capacity to serve growing demand and support regional power exchanges. The investment is also expected to create opportunities for industrial and commercial growth, particularly in eastern Uganda, where improved electricity reliability could support manufacturing, investment and other productive activities.
Olsson recognised the contribution of companies including Kalpataru Power Transmission and Hitachi Energy, as well as financial institutions and other technical partners, in developing Uganda's energy infrastructure. The project's financing arrangements involve Standard Chartered Bank, and Sweden's export credit agency, Exportkreditnämnden (EKN), has separately published information indicating that it was considering a guarantee for financing equipment for the transmission line. The partnership builds on longstanding cooperation between Uganda and Sweden in the energy sector, Olsson said.
Uganda has expanded its electricity generation capacity over the years, but adequate transmission infrastructure remains essential to deliver the available power reliably to homes, businesses and industries. The transmission line forms part of Uganda's wider effort to modernise its electricity network and ensure that investments in generation are matched by the infrastructure needed to transmit power to consumers and support economic growth.