Gridworks Group and the Government of Uganda have signed two key agreements that pave the way for the commencement of construction on the Amari Power Transmission Project, a landmark initiative valued at $50 million.
The agreements, signed on February 4, include an Implementation Agreement with the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development and a Transmission Services Agreement with the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL). These arrangements formally authorize the start of works aimed at strengthening Uganda’s national transmission infrastructure.
The Amari project will upgrade transformation capacity at four strategic high-voltage substations across the country. These include the Tororo substation (220 kV) in eastern Uganda near the Kenyan border, the Nkenda substation (132 kV), a key interconnection point with the Democratic Republic of Congo, and the Mbarara North (132 kV) and Mbarara South (220 kV) substations in western Uganda.
The upgrades are designed to enhance grid reliability, improve power quality for industrial users, reduce system losses, and support the integration of both existing and future renewable energy generation into the national grid.
Gridworks, a subsidiary of British International Investment, noted that the Amari initiative represents Africa’s first privately sponsored power transmission project to reach the construction phase, marking a significant milestone for private sector participation in electricity transmission infrastructure on the continent.
Ruth Nankabirwa, Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, described the project as central to Uganda’s long-term energy strategy.
“The Amari power transmission project constitutes a strategic pillar of our long-term agenda to modernize and future-proof Uganda’s national electricity grid. By strengthening transmission infrastructure, we enable reliable power supply to support industrial growth, regional power trade, and inclusive socio-economic transformation. Our partnership with Gridworks reflects our commitment to mobilizing sustainable private capital and expertise to accelerate priority energy investments,” she said.
According to the International Energy Agency’s October 2025 report, Financing Electricity Access in Africa, national grid expansion remains the primary channel for electricity delivery across the continent. Between 2015 and 2024, cumulative investment in power grids in sub-Saharan Africa reached $54 billion, reflecting an average annual growth rate of 6 percent. This growth, however, still trails levels observed in Southeast Asia, where several countries have achieved universal electricity access.
The report further highlighted that, until 2023, African governments were responsible for nearly all investments in transmission infrastructure, with only four countries permitting private sector participation. In response to rising public debt levels and financial pressures on state utilities, several governments have begun opening transmission networks to private financing as a means of meeting escalating infrastructure demands.