The mayor of Kasese’s ambitious plan for his region’s renewables programme aims to improve living standards and public health
My desire to set a 100% renewable by 2020 goal was strongly motivated by the alarming climate-induced degradation of the snowcapped Rwenzori mountains, from which the communities here derive their livelihood, water supply and identity. The people of the Rwenzori get their name from the snow. Without the snow, our name will be no more. Also, I want to boost energy access in the region to improve living standards, increase public health and bolster the local economy.
The 100% renewables programme was launched in 2012 with the aim to transform the energy supply in the city of Kasese and the surrounding district. I want to bring access to clean energy services for all domestic, productive and social needs in both rural and urban areas by 2020. Only 7.6% of the 134,000 households in the district have access to the nation’s electricity grid so we are working on adopting a variety of renewable sources including biomass, solar, geothermal and micro-hydroelectric technologies.
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