Selestino Babungi, the Managing Director of  Umeme Ltd would like to applaud all our frontline healthcare workers and other individuals and institutions who are working day and night under the strategic guidance of our president, to keep this pandemic Covid-19, the deadly disease caused by the Coronavirus at bay in Uganda.

As guided by the President, H.E Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, while the healthcare workers fight the disease, care must be taken to keep the economy running, without compromising public health.

Umeme, accounts for over 97{0945c2a372ac1e8bbfe7cc3e10f9b82eb0b8ae872b07368d754f0396b6ef2afe} of all electricity supply in the country and we therefore understand and appreciate that we must stay at work to keep the country switched on and running. i appreciate the efforts of our 1,625 staff and contractors who have remained committed to keeping the lights on.  We also appreciate the support received from the security Joint Task Force, which has continued to support us during these tough times.

But Uganda can only keep the economy running, if we are all healthy and alive, which is why I urge all of us to join hands to fight the Coronavirus by adhering to all government directives and guidelines especially staying home and practicing the various safety measures that government has so articulately communicated.

Adjusting our processes to keep Uganda switched on

At Umeme- the safety of our customers, our staff, and the public has always been a priority. In light of the directives issued by the government, Umeme has had to inevitably make adjustments in our standard operating procedures to protect our staff and subsequently the public, but also ensure we reliably keep on the lights.

First of all, to reduce the level of human interaction, we have had to scale down on the number of staff coming to work physically. This has seen us reduce the number of staff per shift. To fit within the 12-hour night curfew, we have also had to create longer shifts of 12 hours in our contact centre and work management centre. We have further relocated staff required to be at work to service centers nearest to their places of residence.

The staff rationalisations however do not affect the technical teams. We have maintained the usual technical teams who attend to faults in Kampala, Entebbe & Mukono areas. Our entire upcountry faults teams are also fully operational. The specialised teams that attend to big breakdowns and vital installations such as factories, healthcare facilities, security installations, and other vital facilities are on standby.

The decongestion on our roads has also allowed us to respond to emergencies and technical faults faster and timelier. This is why for example even with the reduced workforce, our service levels remain high.

Umeme keeping health and manufacturing facilities running

Most referral health facilities, except Mulago National Referral Hospital, do not have dedicated power lines. They share these power lines with other users in the community in which these facilities are located. To ensure maximum efficiency during this delicate period, Umeme carried out preventive inspections and maintenance on these lines and the supporting substations to enhance their performance. We have also made sure that any emerging faults on these lines are prioritised ahead of other faults for faster restoration of supply.

Also the pre-paid meters to health facilities were replenished with credit to ensure continuity of supply without disconnection.

The continued investment in the distribution grid has significantly contributed to its stability and reliability. For this year, the plan is to invest a further US$ 80 million in substations, line works, and expansion of distribution zones. We also aim to convert the remaining 150,000 postpaid customers to pre-paid metering.

Protecting Umeme Staff and their families

For the safety of our staff, Umeme complies with the Ministry of Health Guidelines on CoVID-19 and has provided the required personal protective equipment like working goggles, hand sanitizers, vehicle sanitizers, and gloves, etc. Our field technical teams are under strict instructions to adhere to Ministry of Health guidelines while attending to network operations and technical customer service requests.

We urge the public to boost the efficacy of these initiatives by equally practicing the ministry of health guidelines, especially maintaining the recommended 4 meters social distance while dealing with our staff.

The investments in technology have enabled us to continue serving our customers through the use of digital channels at our contact centre, payments through digital channels, remote network management through the use of SCADA  and remote working of our staff. Our operations would have been significantly derailed during the lockdown period if we had not embraced technology over the years.

Let us stay safe, stay home, and save lives.

  Written by Selestino Babungi.

Qn: Briefly tell us about Social Media FestUg?

A: The Social Media FestUg is an annual event organized by Spotlight Publications Ltd, the publishers of Business Focus (www.businessfocus.co.ug), interalia Independent Journalists Association-Ug (INDOJA-U) and Online Media Publishers Association (OMPA) in partnership with Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

The maiden Social Media FestUg is a one-day event that will take place on 25^th January 2020 at Silver Springs Hotel Gardens in Bugolobi starting at 9am until late night. It will be full of fun, learning and networking.

The event will run under the theme “Redirecting Social Media to Impactful communication and Social Networking Engagements”.  The Guest of Honour is Hon. Judith Nabakooba, the new Minister for ICT & National Guidance.

Qn: Who’s invited to this exciting event?

A: The event will bring together government agencies,  individuals, social media groups, influencers, online platforms and bloggers, digital marketing agencies, various brands, organizations and social media end users under one roof to have fun, learn and network.

There will be free WiFi and everyone especially those on Social media platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp, and Twitter among others is invited but they must register in advance via this link;  https://bit.ly/2ucCBUM for better organization. It is an opportunity for social media users who communicate and know each other via virtual communication to have a one on one experience/interaction but also another opportunity for organizations and individuals to show case their digital innovations and physically engage with social media end users.

Qn: What key activities should one expect at the event?

A: A lot of activities are planned to take place including but not limited to  interactive sessions (E-conference), exhibitions, stage entertainment, Treasure hunt, Online Quiz, Virtual games, snap chatting, #tagging and Selfie challenges. Needless to say, there will be lots of drinks both hard and soft drinks at affordable prices. For instance, beers will go for 5k but Tusker Lite will be at a bucket basis of five bottles at 15k. There will also be a networking cocktail for stakeholders, exhibitors, sponsors and organizers.

Qn: Can you explain more about interactive sessions/e-conference? What should one expect about this particular segment?

A: We shall have experts discussing various topics relating to ICT and internet, PR Management, marketing and branding on social media platforms among others. Companies and Ugandans will learn more about the opportunities social media presents and how they can use the internet and social media platforms to make extra money.  One just needs to come early in the morning because we shall start with these sessions.

Among the topics to be discussed include a panel discussion about Online media regulation in relation to freedom of speech and expression by UCC, INDOJA -U and OMPA. There will also be a presentation on how digital media has impacted on main stream advertising by Daron -NextCom and brand positioning on social media by Aaron Musoke – Premier Advertising Agency will also be discussed.

Mr. Arinaitwe Rugyendo (CMO-Redpepper and Media Consultant) will be making a case of ‘Enhancing Private/Public Sector performance through social media marketing. Data Protection will be discussed by NITA-U, Copyright of digital innovations is by URSB but we also expect Public Relations Association of Uganda and Mr. Muhereza Kyamutetera, a city PR guru to make a case on PR and Crisis management on Social media among other topics from relevant facilitators.

Qn: At the end of the day, what do you expect one to get from the event?

A: The Social Media FestUg aims to streamline the social media industry towards effective and professional communication amongst users. It will also go a long way in boosting awareness and promotion of digital marketing and e-commerce amongst Ugandans.

It’s basically a day dedicated to celebrating social media milestones by doing a recap of social media lifestyle into real life experience under one roof but most importantly also teaching Ugandan youth how best social media can be used productively . We also envisage bringing together all digital media stakeholders to learn, buy, sell, network and share ideas.

Qn: Who are you partnering with to ensure the event is a success?

A: The main sponsors of the event are Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and the Ruparelia Group of Companies. Other key partners include National Information Technology Authority-Uganda-NITA-U (internet partner), Next Communication, NBS TV ,Nxt Radio, RedPepper (Media Partners) Extreme Music and Events (Event managers) and Uganda Breweries Ltd who will ensure revelers get drinks at attractive prices. Uganda Registration Services Bureau (URSB), Ecobank and Davis & Shirtliff among others have already booked space to exhibit and showcase their various digital innovations and products.

Qn: Any last word for now?

A: I want to thank sponsors and partners who have believed in us on our first time of asking. Thank you very much! I also want to urge Ugandans who like to party, network and learn to make it a point and register in advance (via this link https://bit.ly/2ucCBUM) because we have a few slots left.

I also call upon other companies with digital products/services and those using social media platforms to better their service delivery to book space not only to exhibit but also network and get feedback from end users of their products physically. For companies that want to exhibit or any inquiries, please feel free to contact me, Amon Baita via: 0774037962