Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni said that dealing with power shortages in Uganda is a number one priority and has warned that he will not let anything stand in the way of hydro-power projects currently in the works.
At the African Union summit on January 31, Museveni warned the World Bank and environmentalists that he would not listen to advice that would undermine or delay the construction of power dams in Uganda.
"Let me warn the World Bank, now that the boss is here in attendance, that Uganda will not listen to your advice and the so called environmentalists as far as our generation is concerned," Museveni said.
The Ugandan president also said that part of the reason Uganda was having power shortages was due to bad advice from the World Bank and opposition from local politicians. Apparently the World Bank had advised the government that construction of the two dams would produce too much electricity, which Uganda could not consume.
"In order to embark on industrialization, African countries must generate sufficient and cheap electric power and modern rail transport from the interior to the sea," Museveni said, adding that cheap electricity was an essential component.