Presidential Order Lowers Power Costs
South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir, speaking on state television, instructed Juba Electricity Distribution Company to slash tariffs, saying affordable power must accompany investor confidence respected in the existing 100-megawatt public-private partnership.
New Tariff Scale for Households and Firms
Homes consuming under 100 kilowatt-hours a month will now pay 27.3 US cents per kWh, down from 30.3. Usage above that ceiling drops to 28.5 cents. Commercial, industrial and government brackets received parallel reductions.
Connection fees and monthly service charges were trimmed, a move authorities argue will accelerate first-time hookups across the rapidly growing capital.
JEDCO Ownership Realigned
Kiir assigned a 60 percent controlling share of the distributor to the state-owned South Sudan Electricity Corporation, leaving original contractor Ezra Construction with 40 percent. Officials say the structure balances public oversight and private efficiency.
Analysts Welcome Cut, Raise Access Alarm
Policy analyst James Boboya praised cheaper tariffs yet noted electricity reaches fewer than 50,000 homes in a city approaching half a million residents. ‘Connection must come before collection,’ he told Radio Tamazuj.
Boboya also warned that entrenched corruption within the power chain could erode the intended savings if procurement and billing remain opaque.
Civil Society Demands Wider Rollout
Activist Ter Manyang called the decree a ‘vital step’ but urged extension of the grid to peri-urban and rural zones, arguing reliable lighting can curb night-time crime and spur youth learning.
He questioned enforcement capacity, citing previous policies that stalled at the implementation stage due to funding gaps and technical shortfalls.
Electricity Access Remains Among World’s Lowest
World Bank data place national access below seven percent, one of the globe’s least electrified rates. Neighboring Kenya stands above 75 percent, underlining the distance South Sudan must cover to match regional peers.
Government Eyes Solar and Hydro Diversification
The presidential memo instructed officials to renegotiate power agreements and accelerate solar parks and small-scale hydropower, measures intended to reduce diesel reliance and stabilise tariffs over the long term while keeping investor returns predictable.