Electricity Regulatory Authority

Location

The offices of the ERA are located in the New ERA House at 5C-1 Third Street, Lugogo Industrial Area, Kampala Central Division, in the country's capital city.{{cite web| work=Electricity Regulatory Authority |date=November 2021 |location=Kampala, Uganda | url=https://www.era.go.ug/index.php/stats/transmission-stats/maximum-demand |title=Electricity Regulatory Authority: Contact Us |author= Electricity Regulatory Authority | access-date=26 November 2021}} The coordinates of New ERA House are 0°19'18.0"N 32°36'18.0"E (Latitude:0.321667; Longitude:32.605000).

Overview

ERA was established in 2000, in accordance with the Electricity Act of 1999, as an agency of the Uganda Ministry of Energy, Oil and Mineral Development. This parastatal is governed by a five-member board, also known as the "Authority". The day-to-day affairs of the agency are supervised by the chief executive officer. Organizations and committees within the purview of the ERA include the Rural Electrification Board and the Electricity Consumer Committees.

Operations

One of the responsibilities of the agency is the issuance of licenses to electricity wiremen in Uganda, who totaled nearly 2,000 as at November 2018. A member of the Authority also chairs a 5-person Installations Permit Committee, which is responsible for interviewing applicants for installation permits, processing of new permits, renewal of permits and undertaking disciplinary measures against permit holders who violate the terms and conditions of their permits.{{cite web| url=https://www.independent.co.ug/era-puts-contractors-wiremen-at-centre-of-ugandas-electricity-needs/ |title=ERA puts contractors, wiremen at centre of Uganda's electricity needs | newspaper=The Independent (Uganda) |date=23 November 2018 | author=The Independent Uganda |access-date=30 March 2020 | place=Kampala}}

Governance

The authority is supervised by a board of directors, chaired by Grania Rosette Rubomboras. The chief executive officer of the authority is Engineer Ziria Tibalwa Waako.

Recognition and awards

In December 2021, the annual African Development Bank’s 2021 Electricity Regulatory Index selected Uganda's electricity sector as the best-regulated on the African continent, for the fourth consecutive year. By extension, Uganda's Electricity Regulatory Authority is the best electricity sector regulator in Africa, for four years running, according to the AfDB.

Developments

In February 2025, the ERA operationised Ugandan laws that allow for a manufacturer whose electricity requirements equal or exceed 1,500kVA to purchase electricity directly from the generation companies without going through an intermediary. If on the grid, up to 30 percent bulk purchases can be acquired that way. If off-grid the manufacturer can purchase up to 100 percent of its electricity needs directly from the power producer. The intention of the ew regulations is lower the electricity tariff to manufacturers from an average of US$0.068 per Kilowatt-hour in Q4 2024, to the desired US$0.050 per Kilowatt-hour in the future.

References

References

1. Rogers Atukunda. (25 October 2025). "Engineer Grania Rosette Robomboras Appointed New ERA Board Chairperson". SoftPower Uganda.
2. (5 October 2021). "Minister of Energy and Mineral Development commissions new ERA House". Electricity Regulatory Authority.
3. Frederic Musisi. (23 January 2014). "ERA Withdraws Licenses of Five Contractors Over Performance". [[Daily Monitor]].
4. "Location of Electricity Regulatory Authority Headquarters".
5. Ibrahim Kasita. (10 August 2011). "ERA To Tighten Umeme Targets". [[New Vision]].
6. Jeff Mbanga. (17 October 2018). "ERA prepares to issue new accounting rules for energy projects". [[The Observer (Uganda)]].
7. Nicholas Agaba. (16 December 2021). "African Development Bank Says Uganda's Electricity Sector is Africa's Best Regulated". The Kampala Post.
8. Vision Reporter. (8 December 2021). "Uganda tops Electricity Regulatory Index for fourth consecutive year". [[New Vision]].
9. Deogratius Wamala. (6 February 2025). "Factories can now directly buy power from generation firms". [[Daily Monitor]].