Gulu’s grassroots energy pathways: The case of used lead-acid car batteries in Northern Uganda

Abstract

This paper explores historical and current grassroots energy practices in Gulu, Northern Uganda, focusing on low- and middle-income communities, the socio-technical networks developed over decades, and their socio-territorial impacts. By examining the circulation of used car batteries and the role of battery repairers, the study highlights the disconnect between government-led energy transition narratives and the grassroots construction of energy infrastructure in Northern Uganda. This analysis sheds light on the global dominance of energy transition models driven by technological innovation and market logic. In a context of significant distributional inequality, the paper emphasizes the available energy storage options and, more importantly, the local solutions devised by off-grid urban populations to power their versatile electric lives. Despite the diversity of solar technologies, used car batteries, integrated with other solar system components, remain a viable and sustainable energy option for segments of low- and middle-income populations. The study focuses on the maintenance practices and low-tech ingenuity of “Doctor Battery” repairers to offer a situated critique of the diverse forms of energy transition in southern cities.