From Yaka to UEDCL Light: Ugandans react to power distributor rebrand

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Out with the old, in with the new!

Effective midnight (beginning of April 1), Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) commenced sale and distribution of electricity in areas that were previously operated by UMEME Limited.

Patrick Bitature (L), Umeme board chairperson.(File/Mpalanyi Ssentongo/New Vision)

Ruth Nankabirwa, Minister of Energy and Mineral Development. (File/Mpalanyi Ssentongo/New Vision)

UMEME, UEDCLE handover ceremony. (File)

This followed the natural expiry of UMEME’s 20-year concession to sell and distribute electricity in the country, a job the company has performed since 2005.

Officials from UEDCL during the handover ceremony. (File/Mpalanyi Ssentongo/New Vision)

During the course of distributing electricity, the now-departed power distributor introduced its prepaid metering system, popularly known as Yaka, in 2011 to improve efficiency in revenue collection and reduce commercial losses.

Ugandans had grown accustomed to the term Yaka as it had come to define vending of the utility.

Shortly after the ceremonial handover from UMEME to UEDCL on Monday (March 31), it was announced that UEDCL had rebranded the Yaka system to ‘UEDCL Light’ on vending platforms like mobile and financial technologies.



This rebrand drew reactions from the public.

“Wow!! From "Yaka" to "Light". How innovative of the new UEDCL team. That was out of this world! Your creative juices must have just been out of the blender,” X user @HaroldTurijay quipped.

“1. My Yaka is done” vs. “My Light is done.” 2. “Send me some Yaka” vs. “Send me some Light” You only get one chance to make a good first impression, and UEDCL’s was in the hands of their Creative," he added on the social media platform.

"Without context, the phrase “Light" could be confusing - what kind of Light are you referring to? Physical light, emotional/spiritual enlightenment or you mean Yaka?” said @JohnPaulOkwi, also on X.

“No one is going to call it Light. Yaka is fine,” @Senor_Mitch, posted on the platform formerly called Twitter.

“No, this is not it. Leave it at Yaka. You don't have to erode something done by another brand, assimilate and grow with it. SMH,” reacted @NoirEnBlanca.

Patented

Shortly after his company assumed control, UEDCL managing director Paul Mwesigwa told New Vision that they could not continue using the term Yaka because it was patented by UMEME Limited as its trademark.

“Those are business matters that we don’t want to step into. Just like we have been respecting UMEME for the last 20 years, we have to respect their patent right,” he said.

Mwesigwa explained that Ugandans will with time appreciate the rebrand, likening it to the rebranding of social media platform Twitter to X after acquisition by American business mogul Elon Musk.

He further explained that they had undertaken upgrades on the different electricity vending platforms and replaced the UMEME option with UEDCL Light for customers that were previously served by Umeme.