MUKUPA-KATANDULA - After years of waiting in the dark, residents of Mukupa-Katandula in Kuputa District of Northern Province are now connected to the national grid following the commissioning of a K6.8 million electricity project.
Vice-President Mutale Nalumango yesterday commissioned the Mukupa-Katandula Grid Extension Project, which has extended the national electricity grid by about 13 kilometres and created capacity for 165 initial connections.
The project, implemented under the 2025 Rural Electrification Authority (REA) Work Plan and Budget, was constructed at a cost of K6,804,892.
It includes two distribution transformers, with 150 connections earmarked for households and 15 for public facilities.
Among the first beneficiaries are Mukupa Katandula Primary School, the Rural Health Centre, Local Court, market and Chief's Palace, as well as surrounding households and businesses.
Speaking during the commissioning, Ms Nalumango said the development demonstrated government's determination to ensure that geographical location does not prevent communities from accessing development.
She said electricity was much more than a source of light, as it could unlock opportunities and transform communities.
"Electricity is not simply about lighting homes. It is about creating opportunities for our people, unlocking human potential and transforming businesses to uplift the socio-economic status of our people," Ms Nalumango said.
Ms Nalumango urged residents not to treat the arrival of electricity merely as a convenience, but as an opportunity to change their economic fortunes.
She challenged women and young people in particular to use the new power supply to establish businesses, process agricultural produce and create employment.
"For the people of this Chiefdom, this project answers a need that has existed for many years," she said.
Meanwhile, REA Board chairperson Charles Mboma said the arrival of reliable electricity would accelerate development in Mukupa-Katandula by strengthening public services and opening doors for businesses.
Mr Mboma said experience from other communities had demonstrated that electricity could stimulate economic activity once it became available.
He said schools would be better positioned to support learning, while health facilities would be able to improve service delivery.
"As REA, we understand that communities develop more quickly when reliable electricity is available," Mr Mboma said.
He said the authority expected more households to connect to the new network as businesses also took advantage of the opportunities created by reliable power.
Mr Mboma said REA would continue working with Government, the private sector and development partners to take electricity infrastructure to communities that were ready to grow but lacked reliable power.
He said the Mukupa-Katandula project was therefore not simply about erecting poles, transformers and power lines, but investing in the community's homes, schools, health services and economic future.
Source: Kalemba