By Mbah Godlove
Traffic in Mutengene came to a standstill on Tuesday as hundreds of residents—predominantly women—poured onto the streets to protest months-long electricity outages. Demonstrators blocked major access roads linking Tiko and Douala, expressing frustration over what they described as unbearable living conditions caused by the persistent blackout.
According to local sources, several neighbourhoods in Mutengene have been without electricity for close to nine months, with residents claiming they have received little to no official explanation. Instead, they say authorities have continuously assured them that “transformational changes” were in progress, promises many residents now view as empty.
During the protest, which many in the community described as “long overdue,” demonstrators insisted they would not allow the holiday season to pass without electricity. They highlighted the crippling effects of the outage on small businesses, as well as the challenges it poses for students who are unable to study at night.
After hours of disrupted movement, the Divisional Officer for Tiko Subdivision addressed the crowd, promising that steps would be taken to restore power. His assurances, however, did little to calm the protesters, who noted that similar commitments have repeatedly gone unfulfilled over several decades.
Electricity shortages remain a widespread concern not only in Mutengene but across the broader southern zone, where some communities have reportedly endured more than a year without power. The situation has sparked growing anxiety, particularly following reports that the electricity company was recently renationalised by authorities in French Cameroun—an action many fear could worsen the crisis in the weeks ahead.
