Grace Matsiko
15 December 2007
Munyonyo — Uganda is planning to export 50 Mega Watts of hydro electricity to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to the details of the ongoing negotiations between the two countries being held at Munyonyo a Kampala suburb .
The power to be exported will be tapped from Nyahuka in Fort Portal and near Mpondwe in Kasese, State minister for minerals, Kamanda Bataringaya said yesterday.
"DRC wants us to sign the inter-connectivity agreement for the export of 50 MW," Mr Bataringaya told the media at the sidelines of the Joint Permanent Commission sitting at Munyonyo Commonwealth Resort. Cuurently Uganda exports electricity to Kenya despite a deficit back home. But Mr Bantaringaya said the power to DRC towns will be generated from new sites in a joint investment programme.
DRC has sent over 60 officials including six ministers to negotiate and improve relations with Uganda in areas of defence and security, economy, political and diplomacy . The DRC ministers are scheduled to meet President Yoweri Museveni for further consultations.
On reports of shared oil deposits, which are feared to be a cause of tension between the two countries, Mr Bataringaya said teams from respective countries have discovered that there are no such shared resources.
The meeting, however, agreed that DRC posts an oil expert at its embassy in Kampala to liase with Ugandan authorities on the continuous exploration activities and future planning for the utilisation of oil resources .
Foreign Affairs minister Sam Kutesa said the meeting at Munyonyo was to enable the two sides dig deeper into the nitty-gritty's of the past agreements signed between the two countries.
DRC foreign minister Mbusa Nyamwisi said his country and Uganda should work together in exploiting the recently found oil reserves along the common border for the benefit of the two nations.
"If Europeis going to walk, I think we [Africa] should run faster because we are late," Mr Mbusa a former rebel leader said of the regional intergration.
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