Uganda, March 5 -- Umeme Limited's public split from the government is akin to a public divorce, both sides must interpret the terms of their agreement before bidding farewell to one another after twenty years of 'marriage.'

The private power distributor intends to close its government business by the end of March 2025, but it is likely that it will need to keep running for a few months after that concession while awaiting government audits for its buyout amount, which is equivalent to money that Umeme has not recovered during its concession.

This sum is approximately $225 million (Shs881 billion) as of January 2024, according to Energy Ministry's Permanent Secretary, Engineer Irene Bateebe. With power tariffs that are built into its co...