Research
indicate that Transformer oil is used for chips and chapatti making
By
MORIS MUMBERE,
E-society
KASESE:
Electricity companies in Kasese have warned the public to be vigilant following
the Research made by several power distributing company that transformer oil
that is drained from several transformers in different transmitting point is
current used by chapatti makers from different manufacturing places in the
country.
“We always find most of our transformers drained,
vandalized others linking without any clear notification on who might have
tempered with them and the secrete behind vandalizing them, until when it was
discovered and researched in kenya during a training workshop where we were
informed that the oil is used by chapatti makers” lubega Stephen said.
During the awareness meeting organized by the
electricity regulatory authority held at Verina gardens yesterday the public
tasked the distribution companies to give reasons why power goes off and takes
long to be connected without any notification that has left many lose their
properties due to fire out breaks when power comes back with high voltages
beyond domestic consumption levels.
The Kasese district Umeme engineer for maintenance lubega
Stephan in his response said, thieves break the transformers and disconnect the
power without the companies notice which they notice after some days leaving
the public in darkness since the oil helps in the transformers process.
He added that all along they have been wandering
what the thieves use the oil for but of recent they realized that it’s used for
chapatti making by several venders on streets and other places.
“Had it not been the training we attained in Kanya, as
Umeme Company in Uganda we would continue asking what the transformer oil is used
for” lubega added.
Lubega further noted that the reports made indicate
that the transformer oil favors chapatti and Cheeps makers since it takes long while
cycling on the fry pan to get finished and dry compared to other cooking oils
which are costly that why most of the venders use it.
Lubega added that, another category of people have
stated mixing transformer oil in the cosmetics for their bodies.
He appealed to the public to stand warned and
worried of their health since the oil consists of cooper sulphate (cuso4)
which is harm full for human consumption.
While looking at the effect of the transformer oil
on human consumption the managing director kilembe investment electricity
company Mr. Gideon Mujungu narrated several causes such as lung cutting that
has affected many people in the country, which may result into lung cancer
since the used transformer oil in chapatti making is not good for human
consumption.
Gideon further confirmed its effect basing of live
practice where when drops land on any vegetable or grass it immediately dries
off, and in same area where transformers are placed grass dry due to some
linkages on the transformer that drops the oil.
Gideon indentified other users as those who do
welding work who use the oil for their machine saying all these are being
hunted to find the real person who vandalize company transformers.
The deputy RDC Minadabu Muhindo asked Umeme
management to differentiate the difference between the chapatti cooked by
transformer oil and the original cooking oil so that the public can be on the
alert of such health risks foods by appearance.
The councilor representing Kamaiba ward Mzee Israel
Masereka said he had been tipped on the information while staying in kampala
that cheeps consume a lot of oil and most of the sellers opted to using
transformer oil since it takes long on the pan while cycling.
Efforts to talk to any of the street chapatti and
cheeps makers over the said information were impossible since their daily
duties are always done at night.
End.
