YECO Installing Poles along the Sobe street. Photo credit: Kissinger Jose Piripiri
(YEI RIVER COUNTY) – The Yei Electricity Cooperative (YECO) has started installing electricity poles along major streets in Yei Town, raising hopes among residents for the restoration of power after years of outage.
According to local residents and observers, YECO’s technical team began erecting and replacing electricity poles earlier this week in different parts of the town.
Previously, YECO Board Chairperson Richard Lugala Godo told Access Radio that technical assessments had been completed and work would commence once the required materials, including network poles, arrived in Yei.
By Thursday afternoon, residents confirmed that YECO personnel were actively working in key locations, including the Police Station–Sobe route. The team was reportedly replacing damaged and rotten poles while installing new ones.
Residents also reported that similar process has been been seen along the Erap Street, Nyakama Street, Yei Hospital road over the recent weeks .
Kissinger Jose, a businessman in Yei, welcomed the development, saying the progress was encouraging for the business community.
“The process is going on well. They are fixing fallen and rotten poles. Power is essential for business and development, and we are happy that YECO is coming back,” he said.
He called on both the government and YECO management to ensure that electricity supply is fully restored, noting its importance for improving security and economic activity.
Another resident, Pitia Moses, expressed optimism that electricity could return soon.
“We hope within the next two weeks power will be restored. We thank the YECO team for the good work and encourage them to speed up,” he said.
Eli Yuma, a street vendor, also praised the initiative, highlighting its potential impact on livelihoods and essential services.
“Power will improve businesses like phone charging, reduce insecurity, and support hospitals, night movement, and children’s learning,” he noted.
YECO was originally established in 2005 as a community initiative by NRECA International with support from USAID. The power facility began operations in October 2009 and became an independent cooperative in 2010.
However, operations were halted in 2016 at the height of conflict in the region. Efforts are now underway to rehabilitate the power plant, with support from both the state and national governments, alongside funding from the World Bank.
The ongoing installation of power poles marks a significant step toward restoring electricity and improving living conditions in Yei Town.
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