Any company that intends to generate, transmit, or distribute electricity in Uganda must obtain an operator’s licence from the Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA), working with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development (MEMD). Licensing protects consumers and ensures reliable, safe, and fairly priced power.
Who’s Eligible
- Incorporated companies (local or foreign) registered to operate in Uganda.
- Entities meeting ERA’s technical & financial capability requirements and sector codes.
Fees & Validity
- Application fee: UGX 500,000
- Licence grant/clearance fee: UGX 800,000 per MW of installed capacity
- Validity: typically 1 year (see licence terms).
- Processing time: about 90 days from submission of a complete application.
Capacity thresholds (quick rule):
• >3 MW: ERA Generation Licence required
• 1–3 MW: ERA Electricity Permit (streamlined)
• <1 MW: typically no ERA clearance (confirm any local/other approvals)
Step-by-Step Procedure
Step 1 — Early Engagement & Forms
- Meet ERA (CEO/Licensing team) early to confirm requirements and route.
- Download/collect the prescribed application forms from ERA.
- Secure prerequisite project documents where applicable:
- Approval for Expression of Interest & Detailed Feasibility Study
- Approval of the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) (for grid-connected sales)
- Electricity Generation Licence (if you’re moving downstream/upstream as relevant)
Step 2 — Address MEMD via ERA
- Submit a written application to MEMD through ERA.
- ERA may require a feasibility study to test market/technical viability.
Step 3 — Prepare the Application Pack
Attach sufficient information for ERA’s suitability assessment, including:
Corporate & Financial
- Legal & financial status of applicant; certificate of incorporation/registration
- Memorandum & Articles of Association
- Audited financials (most recent) and financial projections
- Directors & shareholders lists and particulars
- Statement on capital structure and funding sources
Project & Technical
- Business plan and feasibility study (use ERA templates)
- Technical & economic description of the project and grid fit
- Gantt chart, CVs (ERA template), project references
- Environmental & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and licence
- Resettlement Action Plan, Stakeholder Engagement Plan
- Environmental Audit (if required)
- Project Financial Model (ERA template)
- Maps/drawings, landscape adaptation, construction start/finish timeline
- Impacts on public & private interests and proposed mitigation
- Draft/signed PPA (where applicable)
Step 4 — Draft Review
- Send a draft application to ERA for preliminary scrutiny.
- If sufficient, submit the final application to ERA and MEMD, with proof of fee payment.
Step 5 — Formal Submission
- File the completed form + all attachments + application fee.
- Declare if your primary business is supply of electrical energy for sale.
- Small private systems: plants ≤25 kW (public/local authority) or ≤100 kW (company/individual) wholly within the premises and ≤ medium pressure may fall outside full licensing—confirm with ERA.
Step 6 — Acknowledgement
- ERA checks completeness and issues an acknowledgement letter with date received.
Step 7 — Cure Deficiencies (if any)
- If information is missing, ERA issues a deficiency notice with a deadline (often ≤30 days). Respond within time.
Step 8 — Public Notice
- Publish a notice of intention in a widely read newspaper, and notify Local Government and ERA at least 15 days before filing (or as instructed). Provide ERA with copies.
Step 9 — Review & Stakeholder Inputs
- ERA/MEMD consider the file, public responses, and any inquiries.
- Within six months of receipt, the Minister may decide to grant (with conditions/period) or refuse. (Typical ERA processing for complete files is ~90 days.)
Step 10 — Decision & Period
- ERA decides whether to grant the licence.
- Bulk supply licences can run up to 50 years; renewal can be requested within 10 years to termination. (Other licence terms as set in your grant.)
Step 11 — Payment & Issuance
- Pay the licence grant fee (e.g., UGX 800,000/MW) as invoiced.
- ERA issues the licence; Gazette notice may be published as applicable.
- Licensee is responsible for erection and installation of lines/works per the approval.
Required Documents (Checklist)
- Application letter to ERA
- Newspaper advertisement (copy) and notice to Local Government
- Draft/signed PPA (if selling to offtaker/grid)
- ESIA licence and Environmental Audit (as applicable)
- Feed-in Tariff policy information (for FiT projects)
- Certificate of registration & incorporation
- Memorandum & Articles of Association
- Most recent audited report
- Financial projections & sources of finance
- Directors & shareholders lists with particulars
Contacts
Electricity Regulatory Authority (ERA)
New ERA House, Plot 5C-1 Third Street, Lugogo Industrial Area, Kampala
P.O. Box 10332, Kampala, Uganda
Tel: +256 417 101800 / +256 393 260166 | Complaints: +256 200 506000
Email: [email protected]
Ministry of Energy & Mineral Development (MEMD)
Amber House, Plot 29/33 Kampala Road, Kampala
Tel: 041 4344414 | Email: [email protected]
Application Flow (at a glance)
- Early meeting & forms → 2) MEMD application via ERA → 3) Compile dossier (corporate, technical, ESIA, finance) → 4) Draft to ERA → 5) Final filing + fee → 6) Acknowledgement/deficiency cure → 7) Public notice(s) → 8) Review & inquiries → 9) Decision → 10) Pay grant fee → 11) Licence issued.
Form Fields (you’ll be asked)
- Applicant’s full name & address, company details, incorporation data
- Nature of licence (new/renewal/transfer/modification)
- Capacity & technology; site details
- CEO details; bankers; auditors; related/holding companies
- Two business referees
Why this Licence Matters
A valid ERA licence is mandatory to engage in generation, transmission, distribution, or trading of electricity in Uganda. It balances investor certainty with consumer protection—covering tariffs, quality, safety, and reliability across the power sector.
