Engineers at the site in Nimule on Thursday, Oct 24 2019 | Credit | Okot Emmanuel

Uganda has started construction of the first electricity pole that shall help in the electrification of Nimule and Kaya border towns.

This came after South Sudan reached an understanding with Uganda in 2017 to extend electricity to South Sudan’s border towns, including Kajo-keji.

On Thursday, the two countries launched the groundbreaking work of the 33-kilowatt electric project.

Uganda’s State Minister for Energy said the project is in line with the East Africa Community Power Pool Agreement that calls on all member states to share electricity.

Simon D’janga revealed that the electrification of the three towns will be completed within seven months.

“We’ll construct 15 kilometers of power line to Nimule; this is at 33KV,” D’janga said at a groundbreaking ceremony in Nimule on Thursday.

“We will also construct about 25 kilometers of low voltage lines to Nimule and five kilometers in the area of Kaya and this will be taken up to the compound of the individual consumers of electricity.”

D’janga added that the plan includes extending the same electricity to Juba:

“We are currently taking a feasibility study of extending power from Olwio near Gulu at 400KV up to Juba. We are already doing that study.”