Uganda Hit by Nationwide Blackout After Major Grid Failure

Uganda experienced a nationwide blackout caused by a major national grid failure, with authorities investigating a suspected fault at Nalubaale Power Station as power was gradually being restored.

Uganda was plunged into total darkness on Friday night following a major system failure on the national electricity grid, reviving public frustration over persistent power instability at a time when the country is transitioning into state-managed electricity distribution.

The nationwide blackout occurred at exactly 9:07 PM on June 5, 2026, according to an emergency notice issued by the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited. The utility confirmed that technical teams had been dispatched to investigate the cause of the failure and restore power, while apologizing for the widespread disruption.

The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited also issued an urgent alert to customers, stating that the outage originated from the transmission network. However, senior energy officials remained cautious, offering limited details on the exact cause of the collapse.

When contacted, Stephen Illungole, Head of Communications at UEDCL, confirmed the system failure but referred further inquiries to regional management, saying: “That’s true, but you contact Mohammad Lubogo, that is his jurisdiction. I don’t have details.”

The Electricity Regulatory Authority also acknowledged the national blackout in a public notice issued by its Director of Communications, Julius Wandera.

Preliminary, unconfirmed reports from within the energy sector pointed to a possible fault at the Owen Falls Dam (Nalubaale Power Station) in Jinja as the trigger for the nationwide grid collapse.

The incident comes at a sensitive time for Uganda’s energy sector, following the end of Umeme’s 20-year electricity distribution concession and the transition to state management under UEDCL. While the shift was initially welcomed as a step toward improved service delivery and affordability, Friday’s blackout has reignited concerns over the reliability of the national grid.

For many consumers, the widespread outage is a reminder of long-standing challenges including power fluctuations, load shedding, and infrastructure weaknesses that have affected hospitals, businesses, and households across the country.

Authorities are expected to provide a detailed explanation once investigations into the system failure are completed.