Load Shedding Returns: What It Means for Small Businesses

By Urban Gazette Business Desk

Mukono — The lights flicker off at a salon in Mukono town, and the hum of a generator sputters to life. For shop owners, the return of load shedding has become a nightmare.

Business in the Dark

“We lose customers when there’s no power,” says Sarah, who runs a beauty salon. “Generators are too expensive to fuel daily.”
At a local cyber café, the outage means cancelled bookings. “People go elsewhere,” laments Moses, the owner.

UMEME’s Response

UMEME attributes the outages to “maintenance of distribution lines and increased demand.” They promise stability within weeks.

The Ripple Effect

Economists warn of bigger losses: Uganda’s small business sector, which employs millions, relies on steady power. If outages persist, productivity could drop by 10–15%.