Africa Energy Indaba 2026 signals a new era for Uganda and the continent

The Africa Energy Indaba 2026 is thick with the energy narrative that finally shifts from potential to production. While the global north debates net zero, Sub Saharan Africa is navigating a “Great Reset” where carbon neutrality must coexist with the urgent need to replace charcoal stoves with something better.

Africa holds 60 percent of the world’s best solar resources yet attracts less than 2 percent of global clean energy investment. Uganda’s experience highlights both the opportunity and the contradiction. With the full commissioning of the 600MW Karuma Hydro Power Plant, the country has reached 2,052.6MW of installed capacity, creating a deliberate energy surplus.

This aligns with what Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency, once called a “moral imperative” for industrialisation.

Yet the reality remains sobering. Only about 28 percent of Ugandans are connected to the national grid. Generation alone does not equal access.

Damilola Ogunbiyi, CEO of Sustainable Energy for All, famously asserted that “there is no transition without Africa”, stressing that leaving a billion people in energy poverty is unacceptable. Uganda’s near misses over the past decade have been costly. For years, the country paid for deemed energy power produced but not consumed because transmission lines could not carry the load. It was like having a feast prepared with no road to the dining room.

By 2026, the narrative is changing. The East African Crude Oil Pipeline is now 79 percent complete, with the first shipment of crude from the Tanga Marine Terminal scheduled for October 2026. Uganda is funding its green ambitions with oil revenues.

The government has been explicit that oil and gas income will finance the Energy Transition Plan, targeting carbon neutrality by 2050. This is not a retreat into fossil fuels but a strategic bridge. As Carlos Lopes, former Executive Secretary of the UNECA, noted, “Africa is the testbed of tomorrow’s economy”, and every available resource must be used to get there.

Progress has been slowed by what can be described as a Triple Crisis. Rural grid access in Uganda remains at just 9.1 percent. The barrier is not only the monthly bill but the upfront costs. A rural household faces an average inspection charge of US$11.23, plus wiring expenses that often exceed a month’s income. When nearly 60 percent of Ugandans earn around US$50 a month, electricity becomes a luxury rather than a basic service.

To address this, the government took a decisive step in April 2025 by ending the Umeme concession and returning distribution to the state-owned Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited.

The impact was immediate. In the first six months alone, 648,404 new connections were added. Energy losses also fell from 19.1 percent to 16.8 percent, demonstrating that state led governance can deliver results when service is prioritised over dividends.

Regional cooperation is also reshaping the landscape. Power pools such as the Southern African Power Pool, the Eastern Africa Power Pool, and projects like the Zambia Tanzania Kenya interconnector are linking markets and enabling surplus power to reach neighbouring countries.

This integration reduces risk for large projects by expanding the customer base beyond national borders. As Kandeh Yumkella, former UN Special Representative, reminds us, “Energy is the golden thread that connects economic growth, social equity, and a healthy environment”.

For investors, Africa in 2026 represents value chain integration. The continent is shifting from being an equipment buyer to an ecosystem driver. Spending on electric vehicles in Africa reached nearly US$70 million in 2023, an eightfold increase in just two years. Globally, US$23 billion is needed to expand energy access to those living in extreme poverty. Investors are increasingly favouring commercial and industrial solar models where payment risk is lower.

Nigeria alone is targeting a US$410 billion investment opportunity to become a renewable energy hub by 2060. Meanwhile, the European Union’s Global Gateway initiative has pledged €150 billion for sustainable infrastructure in Africa, aiming to deliver 50GW of new renewable capacity by 2030.

At the Africa Energy Indaba, the message is clear. Africa has stopped apologising for its development needs. The continent is using hydrocarbons responsibly to fund a renewable future, integrating grids through regional cooperation, and innovating beyond the zombie energy systems of the past.

The finish line of universal access is still far away, but for the first time, the Pearl of Africa has momentum. Energy poverty is a choice Africa is no longer willing to make. For Uganda and the continent, 2026 is not just about oil. It is about finally turning the lights on for the next billion people. As Damilola Ogunbiyi put it, “The transition is for and about people.” The priority now is to ensure those people are finally connected.

Mr Humphrey Asiimwe will be among the distinguished speakers at the Africa Energy Indaba 2026, Africa’s premier energy conference and exhibition, taking place from 3 to 5 March 2026 in Cape Town. The event will bring together policymakers, investors and innovators driving Africa’s sustainable energy transformation. Registration is open at www.africaenergyindaba.com.