The Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Dr Monica Musenero Masanza, has warned investors against individuals demanding money to arrange meetings with government officials, insisting that access to the ministry’s services is free.
Musenero said some individuals had established online platforms, including on LinkedIn, through which they claim to facilitate meetings with the minister and other ministry officials in exchange for payment.
Speaking at the closing ceremony of the Renewable Energy Conference (REC) 2026 at Serena Hotel in Kampala, she revealed that some investors had reportedly been asked to pay Shs187,000 to secure meetings with ministry officials.
“There are some individuals who set up platforms, including a LinkedIn platform, where they position themselves as the ones who schedule meetings with the minister, and they were taking money from people who would like to see the ministry,” Musenero said.
“Really, the word minister means servant. I am here to serve. You don't need to pay anybody any money to access me,” she added.
She cautioned investors against paying intermediaries who claim that money is required to meet the Permanent Secretary, obtain signatures or have official documents processed. She also urged anyone asked to pay for such services, including by ministry staff, to report the matter directly to her.
The warning comes as Uganda seeks to attract private investment in renewable energy and electricity infrastructure to support industrialisation and economic growth.
Musenero said Uganda aims to increase its electricity generation capacity to approximately 15,420 megawatts by 2030 and 52,000 megawatts by 2040. Achieving these targets will require substantial investment in hydropower, solar, geothermal and nuclear energy, as well as other suitable technologies, alongside stronger electricity transmission and distribution infrastructure.
The targets support the government's ambition to transform Uganda into a US$500 billion economy by 2040 under the Ten-Fold Growth Strategy and the Fourth National Development Plan.
“Establishing systems is only the beginning. We must now scale these systems to meet the demands of our economy,” Musenero said.
She stressed that expanding electricity generation must translate into reliable power for factories, agricultural processing facilities, mining operations, commercial enterprises, schools, hospitals and households to boost production and improve competitiveness.
The minister noted that discussions at REC 2026 and the Uganda–European Union Business Forum had highlighted opportunities for investment partnerships, financing and technology transfer. However, she challenged stakeholders to move beyond conferences and expressions of interest to develop and implement projects backed by adequate financing.
Uganda's energy sector requires greater participation from private investors and financial institutions to develop commercially viable projects. Musenero encouraged investors to work with government institutions to advance bankable proposals while urging the government to improve regulatory efficiency and eliminate unnecessary implementation bottlenecks.
She also identified clean cooking as a priority, noting that many households still depend on traditional biomass fuels, with implications for public health, the environment and household welfare.
She called for affordable technologies, innovative financing mechanisms and increased private-sector participation to expand access to cleaner cooking solutions, particularly in rural communities.
The minister further linked energy development to Uganda's oil, gas and mineral resources, saying they present opportunities to accelerate industrialisation and domestic value addition.
Progress on the Tilenga and Kingfisher oil projects and the East African Crude Oil Pipeline, alongside mineral development, could support the establishment of industries that process locally available resources into higher-value products.
She said Uganda must focus not only on extracting natural resources but also on building competitive domestic industries that create jobs, increase local value addition and expand economic activity.
Musenero's warning underscores the importance of protecting investor confidence as Uganda seeks financing and technology to expand its energy infrastructure.
She urged investors to engage directly with official government institutions and report anyone demanding payment to access services that should be provided free of charge.