(February 2, 2005) Critics say Uganda’s Owen Falls Extension is a catastrophe and blame it on the government, Acres International, the project consultants, and the World Bank.

Mbale: Members of the National Association of Professional Environmentalists (NAPE) have challenged the recent explanation by the Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL) on the controversies surrounding operations of the two power dams in Jinja.

UEGCL dismissed critics as “person(s) with no knowledge, let alone experience, to categorically state that Owen Falls Extension design was in error. It only demonstrates the deep lack of understanding of facts about hydro power station design . . .” But in a letter dated January 18, jointly signed by Mr Frank Muramuzi and Mr Oweyegha Afunaduula of National Association for Professional Environmentalists and the Save Bujagali Crusade, the two said the dismissal of complaints raised by several experts was aimed at protecting business interests.

Hydrology experts have blamed the drop in the levels of Lake Victoria on the Owen Falls Extension project, which the government and Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited deny.

The National Association for Professional Environmentalists and Save Bujagali Crusade argue that by attempting to whitewash the technical failures in the construction of Kiira dam by suggesting that there is nothing wrong with the hydrology of Lake Victoria, “Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited has every right to protect its business interests by ensuring that information on the energy sector is the type that is sweet to the ear of the unsuspecting public.”

Muramuzi and Afunaduula said the Owen Falls Extension is a catastrophe and blamed it on the government, Acres International, the project consultants, and the World Bank.

They blamed Acres for giving fake hydrologic, geologic and engineering information to ensure that the project goes on.

The World Bank was blamed for giving the government the wrong advise and the government for politicking the project and accepting the World Bank’s advice without

Kakaire A. Kirunda, The Monitor (Kampala), February 2, 2005