By James Innocent
Communities in Yei River County of Central Equatoria State have called on the National Ministry of Energy and Dams to provide clarity on the implementation timeline of a long-promised electricity project supported by the World Bank.
The residents raised the concern over delays despite earlier assurances.
Residents said they were previously informed that electricity services would be extended to Yei town within a short period.
However, they note that there has been little visible progress or official communication from the ministry regarding the construction phase of the project.
Local leaders and civil society representatives are urging the national government to engage more transparently with the public by providing updates on the current status of the initiative and clear timelines for delivery.
These concerns come nearly a year after more than 150 stakeholders, including representatives from government institutions, civil society organizations, and community groups, participated in a two-day training on public consultation and the Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) under Component 2 of the ASSIST Project in Yei River County.
The training was organized by the National Ministry of Energy and Dams in collaboration with county authorities to strengthen the understanding of environmental and social safeguards, community engagement, and grievance management related to energy sector projects.
During the workshop, Dave Saah Sourie, social development specialist for the ASSIST Project and lead facilitator, emphasized the importance of community participation in ensuring sustainable infrastructure development.
“A strong grievance redress mechanism helps build trust between communities and project implementers. It ensures that all concerns are addressed promptly and fairly,” he said.
The sessions covered key areas such as environmental and social risk management in the energy sector, the role of local authorities in safeguards implementation, prevention of gender-based violence and sexual exploitation, and security risk management related to infrastructure projects.
The training was officially opened by Emmanuel Taban Seme, former Commissioner of Yei River County, who encouraged stakeholders to promote cooperation between communities and implementing agencies to ensure successful project delivery.
Representing the Ministry of Energy and Dams, Jimmy Jake stated that the ASSIST Project had secured a total of USD 53 million to support electricity sector development across South Sudan, with USD 13 million allocated to Yei River County under Component 2.
According to Eng. Jake, the mini-grid pilot project for Yei includes a 3-megawatt solar power generation system supported by 12 megawatt-hours of battery storage, integrated with the existing 1.4-megawatt diesel power plant.
The project also aims to upgrade the distribution network using 33kV concrete poles, install approximately 3,000 streetlights, and expand electricity access to 10,000 households—including refugee communities—as well as 400 commercial and institutional consumers.
Participants at the training described the initiative as an important step toward improving transparency, accountability, and environmental protection in energy development efforts.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Yei River County, Hillary Konga, has called on the National Ministry of Energy and Dams to expedite the implementation of the World Bank–supported electricity project and ensure that communities begin to benefit from the planned infrastructure.
He also urged stakeholders who attended earlier consultations to continue sharing information with local communities about the project and its expected impact.
Community members say they remain hopeful that the government and its development partners will provide updates and move forward with implementation, noting that reliable electricity would significantly improve livelihoods, business activity, and service delivery across Yei River County.