REA urged to mobilise more resources

...Victor Hazemba says at the rate REA is moving, it might not achieve its 51 percent 2030 target.

THE Rural Electrification Authority (REA) is not living up to the expectation of the rural community who for a long time have been denied access to electricity, Energy expert Victor Hazemba has said.

Mr Hazemba said REA should learn how other rural electrification authorities in the region had managed to mobilise enough resources for expansion of electricity network in the rural areas.

He said at the rate REA was moving, the statutory body was not going to manage to reach its target of electrifying 51 percent of rural households by 2030.

Mr Hazemba said as long as the rural communities were not connected to any source of energy form, rural parts of the country will continue rallying behind in terms of development.

“Without taking action, the country’s dream of achieving the 7th and 8th National Development Plan which aims to ‘accelerate growth and make it more relevant to improving the livelihoods of the people especially in the rural areas, will not come true,” he said.

Meanwhile, Mr Hazemba says the continued lack of streamlined licensing process as well as heavy handedness of the electricity regulation Act, coupled with limited access to affordable financing was hindering the growth of the energy sector in the country.

He said the only way the country can fully benefit from the energy mix strategist aimed at fully harnessing the energy potential and ensure that no community is excluded from accessing electricity was by putting in measures that allow development of mini grids.

Mr Hazemba said despite the country having positioned itself on becoming an energy hub in electricity generation, limited access to affordable financing had remained a challenge.