Excerpt and Photo from africanews.com
Kalangala, an archipelago of 84 islands with a population of 66,000, was shrouded in darkness and limited opportunities until 2015. That year marked the establishment of the Bukuzindu Power Plant, a hybrid 1.6 MW solar-diesel facility located on the main island of Bugala in Lake Victoria.
The impact of this reliable energy source has been significant. Islanders who mostly relied on fishing, have embraced farming, with many now relying heavily on the electricity provided by the plant. Daniel Kyeswa, a farmer, has been cultivating coffee since 2020, a crop that demands substantial energy for processing.
“Even if I have many bags and sacks of coffee, I just bring them here, they process it because power is available. And even to communicate is easy,” says Kyeswa, highlighting the convenience brought by the power plant.
