My brother Avudria, what you have articulated is what is ideal or what a responsible, pro people government ensures for her citizens. I think our situation in Uganda today leaves alot to be desired. As we know, these utility companies are now privately run. No one, not even government seems to follow how the companies run their businesses, serve for the taxes the companies remit to government. The authorities seem to have no idea of the relationship between the utility companies and their customers, the citizens. What these companies are doing is broad day light robbery of the citizens. You pay for the electricity poles, meter box and at the end of the day, these do not belong to you. They become property of the company.
If you look at the wenreco monthly bill, there is a cost they call adjustment factor that is added to the cost of power units you have consumed in that month. what this cost is, non of those paying the bills, including me understands and this comes every month and has been running for the last several years since wenreco got in business. When some of us think these companies belong to some strategically placed persons in government, it is because of these kinds of robbery we see and nothing is done by government about it even when they know about it. Why do people continue to pay for poles, pipes, meter boxes and unclear bills? its because people need these services. If you don't pay for the poles, pipes, meter box, you dont get electricity, water etc. And if you don't pay the bills, you will be disconnected. People do not have the alternative chioces that are relatively cheaper. If it were possible for every one to use solar, drill a borehole in the compound, maybe the companies would reconsider their position. You are right, there is something cynical happening. Something somewhere is wrong. How can a government comfortably watch her citizens being robbed by utility companies? Not long ago, the RDC of Arua, Maj. Abiriga was very hard and bitter about wenreco and their irregular power supplies. He even went to the extent of mobilizing the people to demonstrate against wenreco and giving the latter datelines to improve or else they will be thrown out of Arua. Wenreco has not improved but Abiriga is very calm these days. Two theories have been suggested that explain his changed position: one, that wenreco installed on his house solar panels and thus he has power 24/7. Second, some godfather of wenreco in government told him to keep quiet and focus his energy on fighting Christine Abia, Kassiano Wadri and Arumadri Joel. Recently, the print media quoted Museveni complaining and wondering how some people decide to make riches out of people defecating. The story was that he said charging people 200/= for defecating is too high and unacceptable (refering to private toilets and latrines). One wonders when the same concerns can be rolled to electricity and water companies. Ismail --------------------------- ________________________________ From: JohnAJackson <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Thu, 16 September, 2010 17:29:53a Subject: [WestNileNet] Re: WestNileNet Digest, Vol 25, Issue 35 Cynical Business Practice What is the standard practise of providing power a crosss uganda? Is it that the customers provide their own poles and meter box for electricity or water? Who owns these equipment? I may be on the dark part of world where utility companies are in the business of providing services to customers. They provide poles and meter for water or electricity. The customers pay for a monthly access fee. Each utility company brings power or water right to the wall of a home(s). By the time a new home is ready for occupation, these things are ready for use. Why do we allow the Utility companies operating in Uganda to charge for poles for electricity or pipes for bringing water to a home? What if all customers wired their homes with solar pannels and dug their own bore holes? How would these utility companies make their money? I really think there is something so absurd about the business practice whereby utility companies charge customers for poles or water pipes. Would they not be happy to have many customers rather than a few handful who can afford to provide their own equipment? What will happen if new customers refuse to buy poles or water pipes? Who looses in the business world? JJavudria On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 3:38 AM, <[email protected]> wrote: Send WestNileNet mailing list submissions to > [email protected] > >To subscribe or unsubscribe via the World Wide Web, visit > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >or, via email, send a message with subject or body 'help' to > [email protected] > >You can reach the person managing the list at > [email protected] > >When replying, please edit your Subject line so it is more specific >than "Re: Contents of WestNileNet digest..." > > >Today's Topics: > > 1. Re: Electricity Poles (Robert Ejiku) > 2. Re: Electricity Poles (banduga ismail) > 3. Re: Electricity Poles (George Afi Obitre-Gama) > > >---------------------------------------------------------------------- > >Message: 1 >Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2010 09:13:14 +0300 >From: Robert Ejiku <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Electricity Poles >To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> >Message-ID: > <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > >We are subsidizing Wenreco and condoning their inefficiency by buying these >expensive poles. > >Atleast this is what it seems like. These claims of transport being very >high for the poles is flimsy. No one has actually come out to defend these >obscene charges and managed t convince me. > >I think this would be something to spend time on. > > > >Ejiku > >On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 9:03 AM, Patrick Anguti <[email protected]> wrote: > >> Ismail thanks for that update. Can u find out how much it will cost if a >> private firm or individual is engaged? It seems Wenreco is doing this to >> discourage people from purchasing the poles. >> All we want to do is buy our poles and then engage them instead of those >> private individuals or firms. >> >> On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 8:40 AM, banduga ismail <[email protected]>wrote: >> >>> Dear All, >>> >>> I have just talked to a staff (one of the team leaders) of Wenreco in >>> Arua about this. According to him, if one obtains poles privately, then you >>> will need to engage a private individual or firm to fix the poles and run >>> the line (wires). However, this private firm or individual needs to do this >>> with the full knowledge of Wenreco i.e. fill in some forms at Wenreco >>> offices. Wenreco will then come to connect your premises to the power line >>> at a cost of 246,400 UGX. This cost is basically the cost of the meter box. >>> >>> He also says there is the power extension plan that they are currently >>> working on to extent power to many areas in and around Arua. In this plan, >>> Wenreco will run the main lines and individuals will then meet the cost of >>> connecting the premises to the main lines. This will still require >>> individuals to pay for poles depending on how far or near your premises is >>> from the main line. >>> >>> As Ejiku asked, yes it is a practice Wenreco reluctantly seems to allow. >>> >>> Ismail >>> -------------------------------------------- >>> >>> ------------------------------ >>> *r From:* Patrick Anguti <[email protected]> >>> *To:* [email protected] >>> *Sent:* Wed, 15 September, 2010 19:03:56 >>> *Subject:* [WestNileNet] Electricity Poles >>> >>> Dear all, >>> >>> As u r all aware, the price Wenreco charges for poles is extremely high as >>> compared to the rate at which the poles are sold. >>> Aware of this, am suggesting we come as a group, purchase the poles, >>> transport them to Arua and then we get services from Wenreco for installing >>> them. >>> >>> The current market price for distribution poles is 150$. If somebody in >>> Arua can get us the installation cost the better. >>> >>> -- >>> Patrick Anguti >>> Forest Officer >>> Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited >>> P O Box 7390, kampala >>> Tel: +256-312-330300 >>> Fax: +256-414-255600 >>> Mob: +256-772-929633 >>> >>> >>> >>> _______________________________________________ >>> WestNileNet mailing list >>> [email protected] >>> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >>> >>> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >>> >>> All Archives can be found at >>> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >>> >>> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >>> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >>> _______________________________________________ >>> >>> >> >> >> -- >> Patrick Anguti >> Forest Officer >> Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited >> P O Box 7390, kampala >> Tel: +256-312-330300 >> Fax: +256-414-255600 >> Mob: +256-772-929633 >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> WestNileNet mailing list >> [email protected] >> http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> >> WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >> All Archives can be found at >> http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> >> The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >> attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >> _______________________________________________ >> >> > > >-- >Ejiku Robert, >Group Manager, >Igara Growers Tea Factory Ltd, >P.O. Box 110, Bushenyi >Office Tel:+256-772-700-797, >Mobile:+256-772-522-619, +256-702-522-619 >Office e-mail: [email protected], >Personal e-mail: [email protected]. >-------------- next part -------------- >An HTML attachment was scrubbed... >URL: >http://orion.kym.net/pipermail/westnilenet/attachments/20100916/360bedc8/attachment-0001.html > > >------------------------------ > >Message: 2 >Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2010 06:31:39 +0000 (GMT) >From: banduga ismail <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Electricity Poles >To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> >Message-ID: <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > >Two weeks ago, Wenreco concluded what they called the final assessment. In this >assessment, they moved to all the different parts of the urban and semi-urban >centers, marking the points where the poles would fit, using GPS coordinates. By >this, they were establishing how the lines would run, how many poles would be >needed, meters of wires, number of transformers and where the transformers would >be installed. This is the field stage I know of so far. > >As for the cost of private firms, I will find out from one or two of them. > >Ismail >------------------------------------------ > > > > >________________________________ >From: Robert Ejiku <[email protected]> >To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> >Sent: Thu, 16 September, 2010 9:08:03 >Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Electricity Poles > >Banduga, > >This is useful information because the impression I got from Arua the last time >(not long ago) I was there was that WENRECO would make you pay twice for the >poles if you privately arranged it. > >Now this is getting somewhere. I think that plan of running the main lines to >different parts of the urban and semi-urban centres would be a welcome idea. At >what stage is this? > > >Thank you. > > > >Ejiku > > >On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 8:40 AM, banduga ismail <[email protected]> wrote: > >Dear All, >> >>I have just talked to a staff (one of the team leaders) of Wenreco in >Arua about >>this. According to him, if one obtains poles privately, then you will need to >>engage a private individual or firm to fix the poles and run the line (wires). >>However, this private firm or individual needs to do this with the full >>knowledge of Wenreco i.e. fill in some forms at Wenreco offices. Wenreco will >>then come to connect your premises to the power line at a cost of 246,400 UGX. >>This cost is basically the cost of the meter box. >> >>He also says there is the power extension plan that they are currently working >>on to extent power to many areas in and around Arua. In this plan, Wenreco will >>run the main lines and individuals will then meet the cost of connecting the >>premises to the main lines. This will still require individuals to pay for >poles >>depending on how far or near your premises is from the main line. >> >>As Ejiku asked, yes it is a practice Wenreco reluctantly seems to allow. >> >>Ismail >>-------------------------------------------- >> >> >________________________________ >r From: Patrick Anguti <[email protected]> >>To: [email protected] >>Sent: Wed, 15 September, 2010 19:03:56 >>Subject: [WestNileNet] Electricity Poles >> >> >>Dear all, >> >>As u r all aware, the price Wenreco charges for poles is extremely high as >>compared to the rate at which the poles are sold. >>Aware of this, am suggesting we come as a group, purchase the poles, transport >>them to Arua and then we get services from Wenreco for installing them. >> >>The current market price for distribution poles is 150$. If somebody in Arua >can >>get us the installation cost the better. >> >>-- >> >>Patrick Anguti >>Forest Officer >>Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited >>P O Box 7390, kampala >>Tel: +256-312-330300 >>Fax: +256-414-255600 >>Mob: +256-772-929633 >> >> >>_______________________________________________ >>WestNileNet mailing list >>[email protected] >>http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet >> >>WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ >> >>All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ >> >>The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including >>attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. >>_______________________________________________ >> >> > > >-- >Ejiku Robert, >Group Manager, >Igara Growers Tea Factory Ltd, >P.O. Box 110, Bushenyi >Office Tel:+256-772-700-797, >Mobile:+256-772-522-619, +256-702-522-619 >Office e-mail: [email protected], >Personal e-mail: [email protected]. > > > > >-------------- next part -------------- >An HTML attachment was scrubbed... >URL: >http://orion.kym.net/pipermail/westnilenet/attachments/20100916/f72914fe/attachment-0001.html > > >------------------------------ > >Message: 3 >Date: Thu, 16 Sep 2010 01:37:41 -0700 (PDT) >From: George Afi Obitre-Gama <[email protected]> >Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Electricity Poles >To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> >Message-ID: <[email protected]> >Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" > >All, > >I think this is quite misleading. Yes, you can individually acquire the poles >and run the wires but at what cost? The poles to be acquired must be of a >certain minimum standard with the correct specifications i.e they must be well >treated using both copper sulphate immersion and creosote treatment. I know only >one treatment plant in Kampala. Secondly, the wires(read cables) must be of a >certain minimum standard too - i.e the type of material, diameter etc. All these >must be got from Kampala and are quite costly - may be importation from India >may be cheaper! Transportation logistics of these items to West Nile is also >another expensive affair. All in all, its a costly affair! Thats why we have to >ask the government to come in by way of provision of subsidies etc. Otherwise, >if you are Mike Ezra, its possible. > > > > >________________________________ >From: banduga ismail <[email protected]> >To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> >Sent: Thu, September 16, 2010 8:40:44 AM >Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Electricity Poles > > >Dear All, > >I have just talked to a staff (one of the team leaders) of Wenreco in Arua about >this. According to him, if one obtains poles privately, then you will need to >engage a private individual or firm to fix the poles and run the line (wires). >However, this private firm or individual needs to do this with the full >knowledge of Wenreco i.e. fill in some forms at Wenreco offices. Wenreco will >then come to connect your premises to the power line at a cost of 246,400 UGX. >This cost is basically the cost of the meter box. > >He also says there is the power extension plan that they are currently working >on to extent power to many areas in and around Arua. In this plan, Wenreco will >run the main lines and individuals will then meet the cost of connecting the >premises to the main lines. This will still require individuals to pay for poles >depending on how far or near your premises is from the main line. > >As Ejiku asked, yes it is a practice Wenreco reluctantly seems to allow. > >Ismail >-------------------------------------------- > > >________________________________ >r From: Patrick Anguti <[email protected]> >To: [email protected] >Sent: Wed, 15 September, 2010 19:03:56 >Subject: [WestNileNet] Electricity Poles > > >Dear all, > >As u r all aware, the price Wenreco charges for poles is extremely high as >compared to the rate at which the poles are sold. >Aware of this, am suggesting we come as a group, purchase the poles, transport >them to Arua and then we get services from Wenreco for installing them. > >The current market price for distribution poles is 150$. If somebody in Arua can >get us the installation cost the better. > >-- > >Patrick Anguti >Forest Officer >Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited >P O Box 7390, kampala >Tel: +256-312-330300 >Fax: +256-414-255600 >Mob: +256-772-929633 > > > >-------------- next part -------------- >An HTML attachment was scrubbed... >URL: >http://orion.kym.net/pipermail/westnilenet/attachments/20100916/fd162047/attachment.html > > >------------------------------ > >_______________________________________________ >WestNileNet mailing list >[email protected] >http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > >End of WestNileNet Digest, Vol 25, Issue 35 >******************************************* >
_______________________________________________ WestNileNet mailing list [email protected] http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet WestNileNet is generously hosted by INFOCOM http://www.infocom.co.ug/ All Archives can be found at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ The above comments and data are owned by whoever posted them (including attachments if any). The List's Host is not responsible for them in any way. _______________________________________________
