RECSO Network submission to MEMD, 23072022

How Civil Society can be Supported / Support the Uganda Energy policy

As noted in the earlier RECSO Network submissions: 1) RECSO Memorandum/Position Paper on the
Draft National Energy Policy (October 2019) and 2) The Position Paper with suggested Issues and
Recommendations for consideration in the National Renewable Energy Policy (2007) Review Process,
stakeholder engagement and participation needs to be scaled up

We reiterate the importance of the National Energy Policy to engage all actors to contribute the SDGs
by among others: providing access to modern services in rural and peri-urban areas; improve health
and reduce environmental impacts of traditional fuels and cooking devices; improve access to
affordable and diversified energy sources; improve energy efficiency in all sectors in line with national
laws and standards; progressively increase contribution of renewable energy mix (in vaccine and
immunization programmes, facilitate access to safe drinking water, and access to basic healthcare and
education for the poor through provision in primary health care centres and schools).

We provide therefore provide the following additional input in relation to how civil society can be
supported / support the Uganda Energy policy based on: 1) the existing text in the draft Energy
policy 2) missing areas that we propose should be taken up

A. Existing text on the Draft Energy Policy (October 2019)

11 Stakeholder Roles and Responsibilities

11.5 Civil Society (page 56)

Civil society includes non-governmental organisations and other civil sector organisations. They play
a critical role in creating awareness, disseminating information, and serving as intermediaries for
communicating needs, expectations, capabilities and culpability between society, government and the
private sector. Civil society is instrumental in ensuring that social, economic and political obligations
are met, and any shortcomings duly raised.

Government will be open up to civil society in developing, implementing, monitoring, evaluating and
reviewing the socio-economic and environmental impacts of the energy sector plans and programmes
at all levels.

Being cognisant that development partners sometimes channel their funding through the civil society-
led projects and programmes, government will harness the contribution that the civil society can thus
provide by facilitating a conducive environment including partnering with them to access such funding
options, for such climate action and energy-related projects and programmes, subject to them
meeting the pertinent regulatory requirements.

Government will also support training, capacity building and awareness creation related to energy
among civil society and the communities they work with (community-based organisations and
relevant energy providers). Therefore, capacity building by Government and other development
partners is necessary on the role of energy in meeting the SDGs (health, education, agriculture, clean
and safe water access, maternal health, biodiversity conservation, etc.)

Government should also commit more financial resources to support CSOs in implementing this Policy
and promotion of renewable energy technologies

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 RECSO Network submission to MEMD, 23072022

10 Financing Mechanisms

The Energy Policy should indicate the share of the revenue from Oil and Gas exploration that shall be
invested to promote Renewable Energy in Uganda
The policy should ensure affordability and accessibility of renewable energy finances and ensure that
certain percentage of environment fund be used for renewable energy promotion.

Role of Government

There is much focus on creating enabling environment for renewable technologies which benefits the
technology developers and silent on its role of information sharing especially on new energy
developments both renewable and non-renewable like oil and gas and its impacts. Therefore, the
section should include a clear primary Government responsibility of awareness raising and
information sharing amongst all stakeholders.

B. Other proposed issues to focus on

1.0 Policy focus on Customers rather than ‘beneficiaries’

For long Uganda energy users have had a relationship with providers that is in reality more of
beneficiaries rather than customers. This needs to change with the National Energy Policy, given that
the energy sector has since evolved to be private-sector led.
Today, continued engagement of customers as stakeholders will help to lay the foundation for
successful achievement of SDG7, as they have varied perceptions that need to be taken into account
from time to time (periodic Customer satisfaction surveys, customer feedback sessions, etc).

Suggested: Universal access to reliable and affordable energy services.

The different customer groups’ energy needs are a vital consideration to an effective national energy
policy. The customers’ expectations can range from a simple energy source for lighting in the home to
high voltage electricity needed for an industrial process like mining. In Uganda, there are three major
categories of customers: Households, Institutions, government, and commercial or industrial. Energy
services and the means by which they are provided to each different customer group will need to be
addressed carefully by the energy policy. These can be through the following strategies:
1. Ensure regular dissemination of relevant information from the MEMD to Local Governments and
general public including setting up a one-stop centre where all sectors and actors can access.
2. Ensure the provision of electricity to all (above) customers is fair, equitable and financially
sustainable.
3. Ensure that the different energy needs are periodically reviewed and addressed at all levels of
society.

2.0 Institutional strengthening and Capacity building

Suggested: Efficient, robust and well-resourced institutions for energy planning and implementation
at all levels of Government.

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 RECSO Network submission to MEMD, 23072022

The policy should highlight the need to build in-country capacity (given that energy issues are not well
captured in the relevant Higher (District) and Lower Local Government levels. In addition low
awareness about pertinent biomass or power related energy issues, appropriate technologies and
mitigation measures continues within the different development sectors and even amongst the key
actors including CSOs. The result is neglect and lack of coordination of energy issues in planning and
budgeting processes (MEMD/GIZ, 2014)

The policy should therefore identify where capacity is most needed and suggest how capacity can be
built across sectors and actors including with civil society. Specifically, the promotion of new
renewable energy technologies (for example off-grid options) calls for imparting new knowledge and
skills; therefore, specialized training by Government and development partners (including civil society)
will be necessary from local to national levels where these are being promoted.

3.0 Establishment of a favourable Feed-in tariff (FiT); and renewable energy integration at both
national and isolated grids (hard to reach areas).

A favourable FiT for CSOs and private entities that are venturing into off-grid solar energy investments
in a necessary incentive. For example, Kiima Foods is implementing the integrated minigrid and
integral anchor model for rural access in Uganda with Smart Villages Innovate UK, and generating
power that can be sold to the national grid. Kiima Foods also plans to have more such off-grid options
in other hard to reach areas in future.