URA, WENRECO partner to extend electricity to a one stop border point

By Mike Rwothomio and Ofoymungu Lee

Goli one stop border point in Jupangira Sub_County Nebbi District clears hundreds of Danger petroleum trucks from Uganda and DR Congo daily. It’s the major one stop border point in Greater Nebbi but for ages, the multi_billion Uganda Revenue Authority tax collecting point has been operating without electricity.

On the 29th of this month amidst heavy down pour, the place was formally connected to electricity thanks to partnership between Uganda revenue Authority and The westnile rural electrification company ( WENRECO).

The extension of electricity to this multi_billion one stop border point include the restoration and extension of the damaged Medium Voltage line that was extending power to Goli Community and one stop border point.

Nathan Woniala, The Electrical engineer at Uganda Revenue Authority said 160 million Ugandan shillings was committed to the project.

 ” it was to enable the business and economic activities between Uganda and DRC. We design the line to extend power from where it had stop to reach this place. URA committed close to 160 million for the project .The project is also going to benefit the community alot through creation of many business opportunities” Woniala said in a Press Conference.

The project was funded by URA to a tune of 160 million shillings but the design, extension and repairing of MV line and the old transformer at the border point damaged by the 2021 fire incident sparked by a danger petroleum truck was done by Wenreco.

Judith Wanguic , The Public Relations Officer of The Westnile Rural Electrification company ( Wenreco) has rallied community who were supportive to this project from it’s inception, to now apply and get connected. 

” As the service Provider in the region, Wenreco has worked closely with URA and URA has been the main funder for the project to enable the custom have power to ease their work at the station and also to help the community of Goli Boma East develop being at the border , there are alot of economic activities that people who are within the border can do” Wanguic explained before adding that ” The planning of the designs was approved and last month the team were here , we want to appreciate the community who supported the project right from it’s inception. Now the place is having power, we encourage them to apply and get connected.

Jupangira sub county where the one stop border point is situated has a population of over 14,000 people according to the sub_county leadership.

The LC3 chairperson Dominic Sunday Ogenmungu urged locals in the area to now engage in developmental activities as power is in place and he also cautioned against vandalism.

” We are so grateful for the extension of power to this place , I believe alot of businesses are going to thrive here like welding, secretarial work amongst others. Lets get to productive work now and I want to advise my people against vandalism , it’s unlawful” Ogenmungu told this Publication.

What locals are saying

The LC 1 chairperson of Goli Boma East Village Abok Phillip Kayomba has appreciated URA and WENRECO for this great stride. He appealed for a subsidized power connection fee noting that power connection fee is over Ugx 600,000 which is too expensive.

” We have been waiting for this moment for years , now we have power, we thank URA and WENRECO for this innitiative, we call upon Wenreco to reduce the connection fees such many of us can be connected” Abok Said

Phillip Okumu another resident is amazed about the power connection and appealed that other government entities focus on narrow roads in the area

“,Now we have power but the challenge here is road , we don’t have a packing space here, you need to advocate for this road to be worked upon” He said.

Electricity poles extension to the multi_billion URA one stop border point in Goli was done five years ago.