We've moved to a new site!

Join us at publicservices.international - for all the latest news, resources and struggles from around the world.

We are no longer updating world-psi.org and it will be progressively phased out: all content will be migrated to the new site and old links will redirect eventually.

  1. Home
  2. Media
  3. All News
  4. 4th African Energy Union's network communique

4th African Energy Union's network communique

01 August 2016
The Energy Network meeting, held on 18th and 19th July 2016, at Ngong Hills Hotel, Nairobi, Kenya, comprised of representatives from Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Rwanda, Uganda, and PSI sub-regional office came up with the following:

Whereas there are myriad challenges in the electricity sub-sector in Africa, which includes and not limited access to electricity, affordability and policy inconsistency.

Noting that access to electricity is a right to everybody, not a privilege to a few. It is therefore obligatory for our governments to provide electricity as an essential service to all.

Recognizing the importance of the on-going regional integration, the meeting:

  1. STRONGLY condemns the anti-Labour action taken by the Rwanda Government to sack all employees of REG and WASAC COMPANIES. However we take cognizance of the optimism expressed by Rwanda’s SYPELGAZ union arising from the on-going engagement with the government;
  2. Resists and condemns the policies of privatization in the energy sector by various African governments;
  3. Calls upon governments in Africa to provide adequate, reliable and affordable electricity to all citizens;
  4. Suggests to build alliances with civil society and community based organizations and encourages individual member countries to come up with programs targeted towards achieving societal needs;
  5. Calls for the reversal of all privatized energy utilities back to the public and/or government;
  6. Calls on the governments to promote Public Public Partnership (PUP) as an alternative to Public Private Partnership (PPP) and all other forms of privatization;
  7. Encourages network members to identify within their countries progressive and committed leaders and organizations who will support the fight against privatization;
  8. Suggests to build and promote international solidarity amongst our members;
  9. Asks PSI to assist the unions through capacity trainings/building to enable the unions to engage effectively with governments;
  10. As well as PSIRU to assist in training research officers in energy sector unions so as to enable unions make well informed decisions;
  11. Suggests to create awareness on negative effects of privatization in energy sector through development of appropriate educational and campaign tools;
  12. As well as to lobby for a permanent seat at regional and sub-regional bodies ie COMESA, ECOWAS,EAC and SADEC.

Unions:
1.    KETAWU (Kenya) Ernest Nadome (General Secretary)
2.    NUEE (Nigeria) Joe Ajaero (General Secretary)
3.    SYPELGAZ (Rwanda) Jackline Umukunzi (General Advisor)
4.    TUICO (Tanzania) Peles Jonathan (Head of commercial sector)
5.    UEAWU (Uganda) Amiti Tom (General Secretary)

Also see