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Introduction: A 21st-Century Service with a 20th-Century Process
In an age when governments promote e-governance and mobile money, residents of Jigjiga City remain locked into a paper-bound, cash-only method for paying Ethiopian Electric Utility (EEU) bills. This contradiction between national digital strategies and local reality creates widespread frustration, economic inefficiency, and a clear case of public-service mismanagement.
1. Daily Struggles for Ordinary Citizens
Long Queues and Lost Hours
Interviews conducted by local civil-society observers and reported in Somali Regional newspapers reveal that customers routinely spend two to four hours waiting in line, often missing work, school, or market activities. For small business owners and day laborers, these lost hours directly reduce income.
Financial and Emotional Costs
Transport fares to and from the EEU office—sometimes multiple trips due to system downtime—add up to significant monthly costs. Citizens describe feelings of irritation and helplessness, saying the process “feels like punishment for paying on time.”
2. National Digital Payments Landscape: Proof of Feasibility
Mobile Money Adoption
The National Bank of Ethiopia’s 2024 report notes over 34 million active mobile-money accounts, a 70 % year-on-year increase.
Telebirr and Bank Wallets
Ethio Telecom’s telebirr platform serves more than 50 million subscribers and processes billions of birr in utility, tax, and government-fee payments each month. Commercial Bank of Ethiopia’s CBE-Birr and other fintech wallets likewise handle water and telecom bills in many regions.
These figures demonstrate that the infrastructure for nationwide digital electricity payments is already in place.
3. Ethiopian Electric Utility: A Tale of Uneven Modernization
Existing Digital Tools
EEU launched a mobile app and an online portal offering bill payment and meter-reading services. In Addis Ababa and several large regional centers, customers routinely settle bills through telebirr or bank wallets.
Regional Implementation Gaps
The lack of such options in Jigjiga is therefore not technological but administrative. Interviews with former EEU staff point to delays in regional system integration, inadequate staff training, and weak accountability as primary barriers.
4. Socio-Economic Implications of the Status Quo
Economic Productivity Loss
Local economists estimate that if each of the city’s roughly 120,000 households loses even one hour monthly in queues, Jigjiga forfeits the equivalent of over 140,000 labor hours per month—time that could generate income or education gains.
Public Health and Safety
Crowded payment halls, especially during peak hours, raise health concerns by increasing exposure to respiratory illnesses and creating fire-safety hazards.
Equity and Inclusion
Elderly residents, persons with disabilities, and mothers with small children face disproportionate hardship when physical presence is the only option.
5. Voices from the Community
Focus-group discussions organized by local youth associations in 2024 found that over 70 % of participants labeled the current method a “serious burden.” Many reported delaying other bill payments or prioritizing electricity simply to avoid reconnection fees triggered by the long queues and unpredictable service hours.
6. Recommendations for Immediate Reform
Integrate telebirr and CBE-Birr Now
Activate USSD and app-based payment codes so customers can pay securely from basic phones or smartphones.
Mandatory Service-Level Agreements
Establish regional performance targets for digital availability, queue times, and complaint resolution.
Community Education Campaigns
Use radio, mosque and church announcements, and SMS messaging to guide customers through registration and digital payment steps.
Agent-Network Expansion
Authorize local shops and microfinance agents to accept digital payments, ensuring access for citizens with limited internet coverage.
Conclusion: A Call for Accountability and Action
Jigjiga’s outdated electricity payment system is no longer a minor inconvenience—it is an avoidable structural failure. Ethiopia possesses the mobile-money networks, the digital know-how, and the public demand to modernize immediately. What remains is decisive leadership from the Ethiopian Electric Utility and regional administrators. Until they act, citizens will continue to shoulder an unnecessary burden in a country fully capable of a modern, efficient alternative.
By: Mohammed Hassen Mohamed (Xareed).
Mohamed Hassan Mohamed (Xareed), an MBA graduate of distinguished merit, is a seasoned academic and lecturer whose expertise spans scientific economic management, business information systems, human development, and a range of interdisciplinary domains. His intellectual contributions—marked by a fusion of advanced scholarly inquiry and strategic analysis—primarily explore the intricate dynamics of geoeconomic competition and regional conflict across the Horn of Africa. He can be reached at: Xareedmo45@gmail.com
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