Members, I would like to contribute my two cents worth of opinion on this;
1. Connection to the national grid isn't a magic bullet that will solve the electricity problems. The grid as it stands has alot of issues. 2. The future of all electricity networks worldwide is to adopt stand alone power systems like the case is in westnile; its a good model. The question that should be asked is, why is the dam not online. The 3.5MW Nyagak and the later on proposed 1.5MW at Olewa would serve the region well. I have seen what magic distributed generation can do, Kanungu, Rukungiri and Bushenyi are now insulated from the national grid in a way. The Ishasha 6MW in Kanungu has enabled that; why isnt Nyagak expedited at the same rate? That should be the question. Not a demand to go on the grid. Regards, Enock On 4 September 2011 18:41, <[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: Read this dear friends! (Ayikoru) > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > > Message: 1 > Date: Sun, 4 Sep 2011 16:40:47 +0100 > From: Ayikoru <[email protected]> > To: A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile <[email protected]> > Subject: Re: [WestNileNet] Read this dear friends! > Message-ID: <[email protected]> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" > > Dear Brothers Adrale and Avudri, > > > I salute you cheeringly, for the rational perspectives you have submitted > with regard to the alleged remarks on West Nile Electricity prospects in > Felix Warom Okello's article in last Friday's edition of the Monitor. > > While I agree with your rational questions (Mr. Adrale) and logical-if > commonsensical suggestions (Mr. Avudri), I think we are taking a long detour > that is unnecessarily counterproductive. If memory isn't failing me, the one > and only problem that held back major macroeconomic developments in West > Nile region in the last 25 years was, to put mildly, the regions slowness in > recognising opportunities and benefits that came from "boarding the yellow > bus". Given the misperception that in a decentralised system such as ours, > one needed to reach and/or please the centre of authority to be with a > chance of sharing the so-called national cake, West Nilers opted, on several > occasions, to either "walk" or "cycle" to the centre instead of "travelling > in the yellow bus". Although there is nothing fundamentally wrong with > "walking/cycling", given the "health benefits" inherent, the people of West > Nile, earlier this year, officially "boarded the yellow bus" in > statistically significant numb > ers. That alone should suffice to connect the West Nile region to the > national grid. It is a non rational argument and any rational concerns as > expressed in Okello's article, if indeed true, are diversionary and should > never have arisen. For, the people of West Nile have done that which they > failed to do in a very long time and finally, they deserve their rewards, as > simple as that. > Rational arguments in these circumstances detract us from attaining the > desired goal, they must be expunged, albeit temporarily, in favour of non > rational arguments. > > This is also an opportunity for elected representatives of West Nile who > work closely with the establishment to 'stand tall' and argue for meaningful > electrification of the region, among other macroeconomic projects. After > all, unlike in the past, they have "hard facts" to prove the changed > attitude of the citizenry in West Nile. Besides, one of our recently elected > representatives from Arua disparaged West Nilers in the New Vision last year > (I can't recall the date of publication) for being unappreciative of the > "numerous developments in the region", drawing outrage from some members on > this forum. Clearly, however, the electorate listened to him and sent him to > the August House, hence an admirable achievement. But our representatives > such is this Honourable member can extend our voices on such important > matters to the region so that the region gains "even more" from that which > this son of the soil believes are "numerous achievements we have failed to > see/appreciate". For, t > hey say, 'the more, the merrier'. > > In a nutshell, brothers Adrale and Avudri, your rational views are much > valued, but they surely will attract further rational counter arguments and > we will be marking time for, God knows how long. I conclude humbly that on > this occasion, it would appear that the non rational views must take > precedence over the rational views, but only under the current > circumstances. > > Best wishes, > > Maureen Ayikoru > > > Sent from my iPhone > > On 3 Sep 2011, at 11:49, aggrey adrale <[email protected]> wrote: > > > I forgot to add one thing. If the president is indeed pro-development and > committed to his/our song of providing conducive/enabling environment for > industrialization/investments then he ought to know better that issues > surrounding development of the power sector are treated by serious nations > by way of applying the old adage of "putting the cart ahead of the horse". > Not vice versa. > > > > Least should the President expect that the people of West Nile shall > demonstrate overwhelming demand when the pre-requisit conditions for > accessing power from local power producer/supplier WENRECO are so > prohibitive for the individual potential consumers. > > > > "A pigmy may not know there are other beings of taller height until it > sees one through his village," the saying goes. > > > > Aggrey > > > > --- On Fri, 2/9/11, alex free <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > From: alex free <[email protected]> > > Subject: [WestNileNet] Read this dear friends! > > To: "A Virtual Network for friends of West Nile" <[email protected]> > > Date: Friday, 2 September, 2011, 12:14 > > > > Dear friends and colleagues of West Nile, is this the price we are paying > because we DON'T PAY TAXES? What have we done to deserve this? Who can tell > me what power is doing in Gulu, in Pader, in Pakanyi, Kigumba, in Kagadi, in > rural Ankole land including in the house of M7 in Rwakitura! Are taxes paid > not to provide basic necessities of life like electricity, water, good > roads, healthcare etc? > > > > Monitor Blogs|Nation Media Group|Africa Review|The East African|Daily > Nation|The Citizen|NTV|NTV Uganda|Mwananchi|Business Daily > > > > Friday > > September 2, 2011 > > > > News > > Business > > OpEd > > Special Reports > > Magazines > > Sports > > Arts & Culture > > Jobs & Tender > > GO > > Login > > Markets|Finance|Commodities|Technology|Prosper|Insurance > > Editor's Choice > > > > Click to scroll > > > > Makerere closed, students, lecturers sent home > > > > Teachers say strike over pay to continue > > > > Draru sentenced to 14 years in jail > > > > Broken roads block aid to mudslide victims > > > > Police seal off Clock Tower grounds ahead of A4C > > > > Bus accidents kill 10, leave scores injured > > > > KCCA bows to traders? pressure, evicts vendors > > > > Kikwete declares all-out war against drug abuse > > HomeNewsNational > > NATIONAL > > W. Nile suffers blackout, grinds to halt > > SHARE BOOKMARKPRINTEMAILRATING > > By Felix Warom Okello (email the author) > > > > Posted Friday, September 2 2011 at 00:00 > > Share This Story > > Share > > > > West Nile has for the last five days been plunged into darkness. > According to a local radio announcement by the sole distributor of the > thermal electricity, West Nile Rural Electrification Company, the blackout > is due to shortage of fuel at the station. This has subsequently led to > closure of business premises like secretarial bureaus, West Nile 7 hills > factory, that produces Adriko?s spirits, hotels and metal fabrication > sectors. > > > > However, all efforts by locals and leaders to woo government to connect > them to the national power grid have reportedly fallen on deaf ears. One of > the owners of a metal fabrication entity, Mr Saidi Sebi, said he has lost > income in the past five days due to the blackout. > > > > ?I cannot use generators because fuel price is even higher. A litre costs > Shs4,000 and I do not know how I will get fees for my children,? he said. > Activities at the only mattress factory, Arua Foam, have also been affected. > The company spokesperson, Mr Swaleh Buga, said it has become expensive to > use generators to run the factory. > > > > ?Even output has been affected because you cannot produce more without > adequate power,? Mr Buga said. However, during National Youth Day > celebrations in Arua, President Yoweri Museveni said the region has low > capacity to consume power, and so could not be connected to the national > grid. > > > > ?If you transmit electricity from Lira to Arua, you are likely to be in a > dilemma because the demand in West Nile is low. If you use high voltage > power, it would be uneconomical,? Mr Museveni said. > > ?We opted for Nyagak because by the time power reaches Arua, it would > have leaked on the way if we use low voltage power,? he added. > > > > For close to five years now, the government has failed to complete the > 3.5 MW power dam at Nyagak in Zombo District over technicalities in the > design. The region would have had power but in the early 1990s, when > Emeritus Bishop Fredrick Drandrua single-handedly lobbied some Italian > friends to construct Nyagak power dam, the government reportedly reneged on > its commitment to co-fund and the work stalled. > > > > And months later, the Bishop survived an alleged assassination attempt > purportedly orchestrated by a special presidential adviser on religious > affairs using a student of Mvara SS as the sniper. The matter later went to > court and the verdict was passed in favour of Bishop Drandua who was then > represented by Tabu, Ayume & Jogo Company Advocates. > > > > The Bishop, who forgave the sniper, abandoned the project and government > took over in 2007. > > Currently West Nile Rural Electrification Company generates 1.7 Mega watt > power for Nebbi and Arua districts. > > > > [email protected] > > > > > > -----Inline Attachment Follows----- > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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. > > _______________________________________________ > > _______________________________________________ > > 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. > > _______________________________________________ > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/private/westnilenet/attachments/20110904/2b2474be/attachment.html > > > > ------------------------------ > > _______________________________________________ > WestNileNet mailing list > [email protected] > http://orion.kym.net/mailman/listinfo/westnilenet > > > End of WestNileNet Digest, Vol 37, Issue 11 > ******************************************* > -- Enock Mutinga Bushenyi, Uganda. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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