AFIEGO takes on Uganda’s energy crisis from the grassroots up
In December of 2007, a small group of energy researchers, consultants, activists, politicians from the Ugandan parliament, and citizens from their political constituencies gathered in Kampala, Uganda to discuss the region’s critical energy issues. They focused on electricity shortages and the growing push for oil exploration and extraction. The unique meeting was organized by the African Institute of Energy Governance (AFIEGO). This emerging organization is a Global Greengrants Fund grantee with a mission to promote better policies, laws, and accountability in Uganda’s energy sector. Their strategy is to educate the Ugandan people and create forums for a transparent and democratic discussion about problems and solutions to the current energy situation.
Confronting a crisis
The Ugandan “energy sector” is a broad label that includes some very specific concerns, including access to electricity, responsible resource extraction, and the efficient use and conservation of natural resources. While the Ugandan government continues to deny the severity of power problems within the country, independent analysts describe Uganda’s current situation as an “energy crisis.” Once an energy exporter, Uganda now struggles to import enough energy for its growing population, and Ugandans pay twice as much as neighboring countries for each unit of electricity. Because of the shortage, it is not unusual to have 30-hour blackouts in major cities. Industries dependent on electric machinery are going out of business. Ugandans who cannot afford the exorbitantly high electricity tariffs often turn to dirty and dangerous supplementary sources. The widespread use of indoor generators and cooking fires has sharply increased Uganda’s incidence of acute respiratory infections and pollution-related disease.
Some officials claim that Uganda’s energy woes will be lessened by the building of a new dam on Lake Victoria, but with the three existing dams currently unable to operate at capacity, AFIEGO has questioned whether the dam is a good long-term solution. These doubts are mirrored in the current debate about oil development. In 2006, oil reserves were discovered in the Lake Albert region, which extends beyond Uganda’s borders into the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Government officials claim oil extraction will fund much needed development projects in the country. But so far, there is little to ensure that the nation will not follow the nightmarish development path of other oil-rich countries such as Nigeria and Sudan. AFIEGO has expressed serious concerns about inserting oil revenues into the country when it is lacking in transparency, accountability, and the legal framework to counteract the weak institutions and high level of corruption.
Taking on the big questions—a call for public participation
In the face of these challenges, AFIEGO’s mission is to encourage and improve national dialogue. To this end, the organization has conducted research and publicized information about the proposed hydro-electric and oil extraction schemes. Their greatest fear is that if institutional problems are not addressed, these energy projects could actually worsen democratic governance in Uganda rather than contribute to much-needed social and economic development. While the difficulties are great, AFIEGO insists that Ugandans have the power to affect the outcome of energy discussions in their country. Indeed, AFIEGO’s belief that Ugandans can and must demand transparent, responsible governance inspired the organization’s creation in the first place.
From idea to action
In 2004, a group of graduate students at Kampala’s Makerere University grew tired of endless power blackouts and corruption sucking away their country’s natural resources. They took action by contacting local newspapers and radio talk shows to publicize their research and opinions. By founding AFIEGO, they solidified their mission to promote good governance and to encourage public debate and awareness about national energy proposals. These were sizeable goals for a small team of eager and talented students emerging on the professional scene. Like many new organizations, AFIEGO had youth, dynamism, and determination, but such qualities are rarely enough to overcome the first hurdles of a fledgling NGO—namely finding donors to fund their projects. Large-scale funding sources want to see proof of competence and results. This is precisely where the Greengrants Advisory Boards come in.
The Greengrants niche
Greengrants Advisors across the world seek out the most promising, under-funded talents in local communities and support their effort to establish themselves. In many ways, AFIEGO is a perfect example of how the funds provided by Greengrants fill a niche that no other funding source is satisfying. Impressed by AFIEGO’s energy and vision, the East Africa Board awarded the group a $3000 grant in 2005 to begin initial research projects about energy issues and community perspectives on energy. From here, AFIEGO continued to strengthen their presence in Ugandan civil society, and they received three more grants from Greengrants. While their staff remains small (just four employees working out of a one-room office in Kampala), their impact is growing. In the last four years, AFIEGO has worked with members of parliament, local communities, government officials, and international partners to provide each group with information and analysis on different energy-related policies and initiatives. Concerned by possible oil development plans, AFIEGO wrote and submitted an oil and gas policy to the government proposing greater public participation. AFIEGO continues to make its mission public in newspapers articles and community meetings like the one described above. In this way, AFIEGO calls for the public to demand information and refuse to be fooled by the complicated twists and turns of the government.
According to Ugandan Greengrants advisor Godber Tumushabe, AFIEGO is beginning to fill a niche long left wanting in region. Good governance, he says, “is one of the major problems facing not only Uganda, but East Africa as a whole.” To address this, AFIEGO has also begun to collaborate with other regional NGOs like the National Association of Professional Environmentalists in Uganda, another Greengrants grantee. Such collaboration demonstrates how the Advisory Network throughout the Global South has become one of the unique strengths of the Greengrants grant-making model. This network of environmental and social activists can connect grantees beyond the borders of their own village, state, and country. The connections broaden and complement each organization’s work and allow for a wider direction of change to emerge in a region as a whole.
As AFIEGO continues to grow, it has the potential to spark change in Ugandan society and share experiences with other organizations. With an increasing track record, AFIEGO has been able to draw attention to its cause, inspiring the interest of other funding sources and the participation of Ugandan citizens in processes of grassroots mobilization. With this support, AFIEGO hopes to have a direct influence on the way in which Uganda is governed, thus impacting communities across Uganda and beyond.