Unbundling barriers to electricity security in Uganda: A review

Abstract

Electricity propels economic development through improvement in the quality of life. Even though government's strategy to increase power generation and supply exists, Uganda experiences regular power outages and has one of the lowest electrification rates in the world. This study employs a systematic review approach and extends securitisation theory to the electricity sector to characterise electricity security and assess its barriers in Uganda. In this context, five dimensions of electricity security are identified and compared. Based on this set of dimensions, results show that Uganda is electricity “insecure.” Further, six (6) barriers to electricity security in Uganda are identified, and each of them is assessed as either existential, potential, or both. Thus, interventions that alleviate or mitigate these barriers can improve Uganda's electricity security. A quantitative empirical analysis using longitudinal data could offer superior evidence and conclusion on electricity security in Uganda.

Keywords

• Electricity security
• Securitisation theory
• System reliability
• Barriers
• Uganda