RicherFin · Sovereign Projects

Uganda Rural Electricity Access Project — Phase II (UREAP II) — Uganda

Uganda · 41 districts nationwide · Damba Island · Energy

Overview

The Uganda Rural Electricity Access Project — Phase II (UREAP II) is a sovereign rural-electrification programme designed to expand access to adequate, affordable and reliable electricity for households, public institutions and micro, small and medium-sized enterprises across Uganda. It follows UREAP Phase I and combines national distribution-grid extensions, last-mile connections and a solar photovoltaic mini-grid for Damba Island in Lake Victoria.

The African Development Bank Group approved the project on 7 April 2026 with an estimated total cost of €104.39 million. The programme targets 259,723 new grid and mini-grid connections over six years and is expected to provide first-time electricity access to approximately 1.18 million people.

Following approval, procurement advanced in June and July 2026 with publication of the General Procurement Notice and a request for expressions of interest for construction-supervision consultancy services. The African Development Bank continues to classify the project as approved, with an end date of 31 December 2030.

Key project information

Official name
Uganda Rural Electricity Access Project — Phase II (UREAP II)
Status
Approved
Current phase
Procurement / implementation preparation
Country
Uganda
Location
41 districts across Central, Eastern, Northern and Western Uganda · Damba Island
Sector
Energy
Sub-sector
Rural electrification · electricity distribution · solar mini-grid · last-mile connections
Project structure
Sovereign public-sector investment project
RicherFin project ID
015acd6e-8637-4fd5-97b6-94f956f2a411
AfDB project ID
P-UG-FA0-015
Estimated project cost
€104.39 million
Financing secured
€104.39 million identified in the approved financing plan
Approval date
07 Apr 2026
Expected completion
31 Dec 2030

Financing

UREAP II has an estimated total cost of €104.39 million. The approved financing plan combines an African Development Bank sovereign loan, concessional loan and grant resources from the Climate Investment Funds, and a Government of Uganda counterpart contribution.

The April 2026 appraisal also states that the Bank was exploring potential additional resources comprising a US$10 million Global Environment Facility grant and approximately €17 million of concessional financing from the Rome Process/Mattei Plan Financing Facility. These prospective resources were not part of the €104.39 million base plan and no later primary-source confirmation of their approval for UREAP II was identified by 1 October 2026.

Total project cost
€104.39 million
Financing secured / identified
€104.39 million
Financing structure
Sovereign loan · concessional loan · grant · government counterpart funding
Debt
€99.51 million
Public counterpart funding
€3.16 million