Cabinet Approves ERA’s Bid to Host the Independent Regulatory Board

On 8th May 2023, Cabinet approved hosting the headquarters of the Independent Regulatory Board (IRB) of the East African Power Pool (EAPP) and granted it diplomatic status. The EAPP's General Secretariat is based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, with a mandate to coordinate the development and functioning /operation of the power pool.

The Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA) will host the IRB at its premises located at Plot 15, Shimoni Road Nakasero, known as the Consumer Protection and Installation Permits Center.

IRB is an organ of EAPP, a regional institution established in 2005 to coordinate cross-border power trade and grid interconnection among nations of the Eastern Africa region. This power trade will enable proper and effective utilization of the region's energy resources for the benefit of the respective citizens. IRB's mandate is to provide fair and effective regulatory services to facilitate the development and efficient operation of the regional electricity market in Eastern Africa and ensure a conducive environment for regional infrastructure investments.

The EAPP currently has eleven (11) member countries that signed the Inter-Governmental Memorandum of Understanding (IGMOU) and fourteen utilities that signed the Inter-Utility Memorandum of Understanding (IUMOU).

The pool comprises the following countries: Burundi, Djibouti, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Rwanda, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, and Libya. South Sudan and Somalia joined recently, and there is a possibility that Eritrea may join.

The current member utilities are REGIDESO of Burundi, SNEL of DRC, EEHC of Egypt, EEP of Ethiopia, GECOL of Libya, KenGen of Kenya, KPLC of Kenya, KETRACO of Kenya, REG of Rwanda, SETCO of Sudan, SINELAC of DRC - Rwanda - Burundi, TANESCO of Tanzania, UETCL of Uganda, EDD of Djibouti and the newly joined SSEC of South Sudan and Electricity utilities of Somalia.

Hosting the IRB Secretariat, among other benefits, provides Uganda with greater influence in the region and enables it to steer the agenda of the Body and take a lead role in developing the regional power pool.