Grid Operator Reports Nationwide Blackout in Uganda Lasting Several Hours

Uganda suffered a countrywide power outage on Friday for hours due to a load rejection test at a $1.5 billion Chinese-built hydropower plant on the Nile river.

The grid went down while testing the Karuma hydro power plant. The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) stated that partial grid restoration had been achieved.

With a power generation capacity of 2,000 MW, Uganda is considering exporting excess power to neighboring countries such as South Sudan and Kenya. The energy ministry confirmed that partial grid recovery has been accomplished.