Illuminating Energy Inequities in Informal Urban Communities
About Us
Spotlight Kampala is a research collaboration of universities, community-based organizations, and local advocates working to accelerate just energy transitions in low-income urban communities in Uganda and the African continent more broadly. We are currently partnered with 25 informal settlements in Kampala, where our joint work seeks to identify needs, pilot innovative clean energy solutions, and advocate for inclusive policies that improve energy access and climate resilience. Our research has generated important baseline data on access, affordability, and reliability, but also seeks to be rooted in the lived realities of informal residents. By centering community perspectives within participatory action approaches, we aim to develop practical, equitable energy solutions that reflect local priorities and drive lasting, systemic change.
Collaborating Institutions
The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) is the lead institution of Spotlight Kampala. Within UCB, the project is led by Jess Kersey and Dr. Daniel Kammen within the Energy and Resources Group (ERG). ERG is a collaborative community of graduate students, faculty, researchers, and over 600 alumni across the globe who work across disciplines to create equitable solutions towards a sustainable environment. ERG has a 50-year history of outstanding research, education and outreach to government, industry, and civil society at the state, national and international levels. Also at UC Berkeley, the work is affiliated with the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Lab, whose mission is to help renewable energy technologies realize their full potential in contributing to environmentally sustainable and socially just development.
Urban Action Lab (UAL) is a practice-focused laboratory within Makerere’s Department of Geography, Geo-informatics & Climatic Sciences coordinated by Dr. Paul Mukwaya. It was established to respond to growing demand from cities to find transformative solutions to complex urban challenges. Its mission is to be a knowledge-based, action oriented research lab which engages in multi-stakeholder platforms to stimulate and facilitate action towards sustainable urban development and enhance university education and research on urban challenges.
The University of Massachusetts, Amherst (UMass Amherst) is a public research university located in New England. The Systems Towards Infrastructure Measurement and Analytics (STIMA) lab, directed by Dr. Jay Taneja, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, studies the application of computing tools to measuring and managing infrastructure in industrialized and developing regions. They focus on energy infrastructure, building systems, transportation, water and also sanitation systems. Their role within the spotlight project focuses on the measurement and analysis of power quality and reliability.
The University of Washington (UW) is a public research university in Seattle, Washington. This work is supported by the InterDisciplinary Energy Analyses for Society (IDEAS) Research Group directed by Dr. June Lukuyu, Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, that focuses on developing and planning for inclusive, sustainable and integrated energy systems and technologies for underserved communities, centering on promoting social and economic development. Their role within the collaboration focuses on the measurement and analysis of power reliability and quality.
nLine is a measurement company providing high spatiotemporal resolution data and insightful analysis of key performance indicators of critical infrastructure, initially focusing on electricity grids. The company has developed an innovative, cost-effective, adaptable, and scalable technology called GridWatch, which leverages remote sensors to efficiently gather data. Subsequently, this data is meticulously analyzed, leading to actionable insights that are valuable for stakeholders and various interest groups involved in policy-making.
In the context of Spotlight Kampala, nLine has made significant contributions in the area of remote monitoring. Their technology, designed to assess power quality and reliability, has been instrumental in measuring these aspects within both formal and informal settlements. The nLine team has played a crucial role in generating invaluable insights that have greatly enhanced the understanding of diverse grid experiences within the communities involved in the Spotlight Kampala project. More information on nLine and how to collaborate can be found on www.nline.io
Established in 2006 as an independent Ugandan organization affiliated with the international network of Shack/Slum Dwellers International. ACTogether’s mission is to have fair and inclusive Ugandan cities with united and empowered urban poor communities, who have the capacity to voice, promote and effectively negotiate for their collective interests and priorities. Their role within the collaboration focuses on mobilizing community participation and leveraging the findings in advocacy efforts.
Arizona State University (ASU) is a leading U.S. Center of Excellence in research and development with presence in over 100 countries. This work was supported by the Laboratory for Energy And Power Solutions (LEAPS) that strives to create technical and business solutions that facilitate the global transition to a resilient low-carbon economy. LEAPS is a 40-person team providing energy solutions from concept to construction with a focus on innovating at the intersection of stakeholder value propositions, technology, business models, and policy.
YouthMappers is an international network of university-based, student-led, faculty mentored chapters that create and use spatial data to highlight and address development challenges worldwide. YouthMappers organize, collaborate, and implement mapping activities that respond to actual needs around the globe with data made publicly available through open platforms. Activities focus on open mapping to build technical and youth leadership skills. Students from the award-winning chapter at Makerere University are joined by youth from the survey communities to complete the mapping campaign.
Project Timeline
Legal incorporation
Spotlight Kampala was legally incorporated in the Republic of Uganda in early May of 2025. This designation allows the organization to continue its work supporting technology innovation, user-centered solution design, and policy and advocacy to accelerate just energy transitions in Kampala and beyond.
Research dissemination and uptake
Each of the 25 participating communities hosted forums where the team presented the research findings, solicited feedback, and led an exercise to vote on priority solutions. A stakeholder workshop was convened on July 26, 2023 to disseminate findings to wider stakeholder audience, and included community leadership, the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Development, Umeme, and the Electricity Regulatory Authority.
Data analysis
Following data collection, analysis was divided among research team members depending on their skills and interests. A conference was held from May 8–12, 2023 at the University of California Berkeley to share emerging findings within the research team and to involve community advocates in validating and contextualizing results.
e-Cooking data collection
With support from the Modern Energy Cooking Services, the research team deployed surveys, interviews, power consumption monitoring, and wiring inspections specifically focused on understanding barriers to using electricity for cooking.
Data collection
The research team conducted surveys (n=500) and interviews (n=66), deployed remote power quality sensors (n=148), mapped community infrastructure with 25 informal communities.
Partnership and project design
A preliminary conference in Kampala in May 2022 served to solidify partnerships, meet with leadership of the 25 partner communities, and conduct detailed logistical planning to prepare for fieldwork. The research team iterated on the methodological design, considering costs, logistical feasibility, safety and ethical issues, community feedback, performance during piloting, funding, data transferability and usefulness to local stakeholders, scientific novelty, and other factors.
Inception
The original concept for Spotlight Kampala was born out of collaborations and ongoing discussions between university partners. The research team began identifying research questions, evaluating methodologies, and applying for financial support.
People
Outputs
Blogs
Three Ways the Multi-Tier Framework Could Better Capture the Nature and Scale of Urban Energy Poverty.
Energy for Growth Hub.
https://energyforgrowth.org/article/three-ways-the-multi-tier-framework-could-b…
“Cooking with electricity is for the rich” – Considerations for ensuring that the benefits of eCooking reach the urban poor.
MECS.
https://mecs.org.uk/blog/cooking-with-electricity-is-for-the-rich-consideration…
Recognizing the energy access challenges of informal urban communities in Africa.
Energy for Growth Hub.
https://energyforgrowth.org/article/recognizing-the-energy-access-challenges-of…
Energy Access in Informal Settlements: ERG’s Jess Kersey and Dan Kammen Convene a Conference for the Spotlight Kampala Collaboration.
Energy and Resources Group.
https://erg.berkeley.edu/energy-access-in-informal-settlements-ergs-jess-kersey…
The Spotlight Kampala Project: Illuminating Energy Inequities in Informal Urban Communities.
YouthMappers.
https://www.youthmappers.org/post/the-spotlight-kampala-project-illuminating-en…
Media
Will upcoming reforms make electricity more inclusive?
The Kampala Report.
https://www.thekampalareport.com/latest/2023071929123/will-upcoming-reforms-mak…
Evolving service delivery in Uganda's informal settlements.
ESI Africa.
https://www.esi-africa.com/issues/esi-africa-edition-1-2023/
Reports
Jess Kersey, Judith Mbabazi, Civian Kiki Massa, Ana Isabel Orozco, Will Clements, Paul Kyoma Asiimwe, Peter Mwesiga. Advancing Electric Cooking in Informal Settlements: Lessons from Kampala. 2025. Download Report
Jess Kersey, Judith Mbabazi, Civian Kiki Massa, Lydia Letaru, June Lukuyu, Elena van Hove, Paul Kyoma. Illuminating Energy Inequities in Informal Urban Communities: Main Findings Report, Spotlight Kampala, 26 July, 2023. Download Report
Academic Publications
Grid connections and inequitable access to electricity in African cities.
Nature Cities.
https://escholarship.org/uc/item/3n5102td
“Then electricity theft would end, nobody loves stealing”:
Community-based solutions for improving electricity access in informal settlements in Kampala, Uganda. - Forthcoming
Data Repositories
Spotlight Kampala e-Cooking Data and Methodological Resources.
Harvard Dataverse.
https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/SRNFEW
Spotlight Kampala Data and Methodological Resources.
Harvard Dataverse.
https://doi.org/10.7910/DVN/P1SIME