Busujju County Plunged into Crisis as Six-Month Blackout Sparks Crime Wave

Residents and leaders in Mityana's Busujju County are sounding alarms over deteriorating security and public health conditions following a prolonged six-month power outage across multiple villages. The electricity crisis has crippled businesses, endangered medical services, and created a breeding ground for criminal activity under cover of darkness.  

Economic Collapse and Security Breakdown  
Kye Kitongo Village Chairperson Nsubuga Abby reported widespread business closures affecting metalworkers, salon operators, and coffee traders, while criminals exploit the perpetual darkness to steal crops and livestock. The blackout has particularly devastated Kitongo Health Center III, where midwives now deliver babies by flashlight and vaccines risk spoiling without refrigeration.  

Humanitarian Emergency Unfolds  
Women leaders describe a maternal health crisis, with pregnant women avoiding nighttime clinic visits due to pitch-black pathways and inadequate lighting. Butayunja Sub-county Chairperson Lwanyaga Livingston Ngonge confirmed the outage stems from contracted technicians illegally stripping power lines, leaving communities like Bekiina, Wabiyinja, and Mwera in total darkness.  

Leadership Appeals for Urgent Intervention  
Local officials are pleading with Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) to prioritize restoration, warning that the situation threatens to spiral into complete lawlessness. The outage has exposed critical vulnerabilities in rural electrification systems, with stolen wires and transformers remaining unreplaced for half a year.