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Residents of Lwadda B Village in Gombe Division, Nansana Municipality, have finally had enough of the darkness.In a dramatic community showdown, angry residents confronted officials from Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), accusing the power distributor of failing to respond to endless complaints about electricity outages that have left homes, businesses and entire neighborhoods frustrated and counting losses.The explosive meeting, convened by village chairperson Patrick Senkubuge, turned into a public airing of grievances as residents lined up to narrate horror stories of prolonged blackouts, faulty meters, delayed connections and what they described as poor customer care from the company that recently took over electricity distribution responsibilities.Leading the UEDCL delegation was Esther Mariam Nambi, the head of the company’s Magigye office, who found herself facing a barrage of complaints from residents who said they were tired of living in uncertainty whenever electricity faults occurred.Residents accused the utility company of developing a reputation for slow response times, claiming that reports of faults often go unanswered for days and sometimes weeks, forcing families and business owners to suffer in silence while waiting for help that never seems to arrive.The frustration became so intense that some residents openly compared UEDCL’s performance to that of former electricity distributor Umeme.According to several speakers, Umeme may have had its shortcomings but at least residents felt that their complaints were acknowledged and attended to within a reasonable timeframe.“At least Umeme would respond when we called and quickly send help despite the challenges they faced,” several residents told the meeting, drawing murmurs of agreement from the crowd.The anger was visible.Some residents arrived carrying faulty electricity meters as exhibits in what looked more like a courtroom trial than a community engagement meeting.They displayed the meters before UEDCL officials and demanded explanations as to why complaints had allegedly remained unresolved despite repeated visits to company offices.One of the most emotional testimonies came from Robinah Katende, who revealed that she has been waiting for nearly a year to be connected to the national electricity grid.Katende said she has made countless journeys to the Magigye office seeking assistance, only to return home empty-handed.“I applied for electricity almost a year ago and I am still living without power. I have made countless trips to the Magigye electricity office, but the response I receive makes me feel like my concerns do not matter,” she lamented.Her story was echoed by other residents who said they had grown tired of moving from one office desk to another while receiving promises that never materialized.Business owners were equally furious.Traders accused UEDCL of destroying their incomes through unreliable electricity supply, saying power interruptions have crippled businesses that depend on refrigeration and other electricity-powered equipment.Some revealed that they are no longer earning even half of what they previously made because customers can no longer rely on businesses that frequently lose power.Cold drinks, one trader joked, have become a luxury item in parts of the area because refrigerators cannot be trusted to stay running for long enough.Others blamed the outages for discouraging investment and limiting economic activity in a community that is rapidly growing.The situation has become so desperate that many residents admitted they have abandoned official channels altogether and instead resorted to hiring private electricians, commonly known as bakamyuufu, whenever problems arise.The residents argued that while the practice may not be ideal, it often appears faster than waiting for official intervention.Ironically, the meeting came only a short time after UEDCL installed a new transformer in the area, a project that residents had hoped would bring an end to the nightmare of constant blackouts.Before the transformer was installed, homes and businesses reportedly endured repeated outages that disrupted daily life and severely affected commercial activities.While residents welcomed the new transformer, many insisted that the installation alone would not solve deeper issues relating to customer service and fault response.Village chairperson Patrick Senkubuge painted an even darker picture of the consequences of the outages.According to him, prolonged blackouts did not only affect business but also contributed to growing insecurity.When darkness engulfed the area, criminals allegedly found an opportunity to operate more freely, leaving residents vulnerable to theft and other crimes.“Criminal activity increased because the area was plunged into darkness at night, giving thieves an opportunity to target residents,” Senkubuge said.He also disclosed that some residents had initially resisted the installation of electricity infrastructure by refusing to allow electricity poles to pass through their properties.Senkubuge urged residents to support development projects and avoid obstructing initiatives intended to benefit the wider community.Faced with mounting criticism, UEDCL’s Esther Mariam Nambi apologized for the inconveniences suffered by residents and acknowledged the concerns raised during the meeting.She assured the gathering that the company is working to improve service delivery and address customer complaints more effectively.Nambi also defended the company by explaining that some outages are caused by unauthorized interventions by private electricians hired by residents.According to her, some of these individuals switch electricity connections between lines without authorization, creating disruptions that ultimately affect the wider network.She encouraged residents with faulty or outdated meters to visit UEDCL offices for assistance and promised that the company would work towards resolving outstanding issues.However, by the end of the meeting, one message was crystal clear.The residents of Lwadda B are running out of patience.They want faster responses.They want better customer care.They want reliable electricity.Most importantly, they want UEDCL to stop making promises and start delivering power.Until that happens, the battle between angry consumers and the country’s newest electricity distributor appears far from over. 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