EAC leaders renew call for regional efforts to solve power shortage
Monday, 3 May 2010
KAMPALA, May 2 (Xinhua): East African Community (EAC) leaders attending a regional investment conference here yesterday called for a regional approach to solving the power shortage their countries are facing.
The leaders from the five EAC member states which include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi were attending the closing ceremony of the three-day Third EAC Investment Conference which focused on how to fast track the region's economic development through public-private-partnerships.
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that there is need for the region to pool resources in order to meet the regional demand for energy which is projected to grow to 25,000 Megawatts (MW) by 2020.
He said the region has a combined power potential that can satisfy its energy needs in order to fast track economic development.
"Eastern Africa has a geothermal potential equivalent to 25, 000 MW. Enormous hydro power potentials exist in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia. Tanzania has large gas reserves while Uganda will soon be joining the league of oil producers. All this shows us that if we pool our efforts and resources, we can be richer and more economically stable as a region," he said.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said power is a major bottleneck that is affecting investment in the region. He said the power shortage needs to be addressed urgently if the region is going to fast track its development.
The leaders from the five EAC member states which include Uganda, Kenya, Tanzania, Rwanda and Burundi were attending the closing ceremony of the three-day Third EAC Investment Conference which focused on how to fast track the region's economic development through public-private-partnerships.
Kenyan Prime Minister Raila Odinga said that there is need for the region to pool resources in order to meet the regional demand for energy which is projected to grow to 25,000 Megawatts (MW) by 2020.
He said the region has a combined power potential that can satisfy its energy needs in order to fast track economic development.
"Eastern Africa has a geothermal potential equivalent to 25, 000 MW. Enormous hydro power potentials exist in Uganda, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Ethiopia. Tanzania has large gas reserves while Uganda will soon be joining the league of oil producers. All this shows us that if we pool our efforts and resources, we can be richer and more economically stable as a region," he said.
Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said power is a major bottleneck that is affecting investment in the region. He said the power shortage needs to be addressed urgently if the region is going to fast track its development.