The UPDF Commander Land Forces, Lt Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba on Tuesday toured Africa’s largest hydroelectric power generator, the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), located in Ethiopia.
Gen Muhoozi, who is also Senior Presidential Advisor in charge of Special Operations, is currently in Ethiopia on an official visit on the invitation of the Government of Ethiopia.
He and his delegation which also includes State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Okello Oryem, who had earlier visited security facilities and technology centres in Addis Ababa, were taken on a tour of GERD under the guidance of Ethiopia’s Director of General National Intelligence Security Services and Minister of Defense Dr. Abraham Belay.
Using resources from the Ethiopian government and its nationals within and outside the country, Addis Ababa broke ground on the project in 2011.
Last week, Ethiopia announced that it had successfully completed filling the dam’s reservoir for the third consecutive time since 2020.
The third filling of the reservoir meant that the dam can run the first two of its 13 turbines. Indeed, the second turbine started generating electricity last week.
On completion, the $5-billion dam will produce more than 5,000 megawatts of electricity, making it Africa’s biggest hydroelectric dam and more than doubling Ethiopia’s electricity output.
The Dam will address the quest of basic electricity demand by 65 million Ethiopians who suffer due to the lack of electricity.
Ethiopia’s current total energy production does not meet the more than 110 million and growing population that requires increasing amount of food, growing economy and expanding urban centres and industries demanding more and more energy.
His visit comes amid a recurring stand off between Ethiopia and the two downstream countries – Egypt and Sudan over Renaissance Dam (GERD).
Egypt regards this giant hydropower dam as an existential threat to its waters and Sudan is concerned about the safety and effect of the dam on its dams and power stations. Ethiopia dismisses the claim and has since severally expressed readiness for Africa-led negotiations on the same.
Gen Muhoozi in March this year met and held talks with Egypt’s President, Abdel Fattah El-Sisi.
Gen Muhoozi’s boss, President Yoweri Museveni earlier this month called for negotiations amongst Nile Valley countries on the use of the Nile waters.
“On the construction of the renaissance dam, I think we should have a top-level leadership meeting on the Nile, where we discuss the real issues; energy and irrigation,” Museveni said.
He made the remarks while hosting Ethiopia’s Ambassador to Uganda, H.E Alemtsehay Meseret Gelaw at State House, Entebbe.
In what seems to be a disapproval of Egypt’s claim that the construction of the dam reduced waters reaching it, the Ugandan leader said water was reduced by environmental changes.
“In any case, due to changes in the environment that led to the reduction of rain, the waters of the Nile had already reduced by 20bn cubic metres before reaching Egypt. These are the real issues and they have nothing to do with colonial treaties,” noted Museveni.
On Saturday, Muhoozi said the stability of East Africa depends on two countries – Ethiopia and Uganda.
“The River Nile begins from these two mothers of Africa. I am going to Ethiopia to try and bring understanding between us.”
He is expected to meet Ethiopia’s PM, Dr Abiy Ahmed Ali later, to discuss among other issues regional security.