Initially, Norpak, a Norwegian energy company, was awarded the contract to perform the feasibility study and the environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the dam.

[11] The Ugandan government then contracted with Energy Infratech Private Limited to perform a new feasibility study and a new EIA, given that a larger power station was now being planned.

[15] In January 2011, Energy Infratech Private Limited, the Indian company contracted to perform the feasibility study for the project, said the estimated total cost for the dam and power plant was approximately US $2.2 billion.

[19][20][21] In June 2014, the Exim Bank of China committed in writing to fund 85 percent of the construction costs, in the form of a concessionary loan repayable in five years.

[22][23] In March 2015, the Ugandan Parliament assented to two loans totalling US$1.435 billion, from the Export-Import (EXIM) Bank of China, for the construction of the power station.

[27][28] In March 2015, Sinohydro, the lead contractor on the project, contracted with Alstom to provide equipment and technical services to the power station, in a deal worth US$65 million.

[33] In February 2018, the Red Pepper Newspaper reported that work equivalent to 74 percent of the entire project had been completed and commissioning of the power station was expected in December 2018.

[37] In addition to the high voltage transmission lines to Lira, Olwiyo and Kawanda, that belong to Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), Umeme, the largest national distributor will spend USh4 billion (US$1.1 million) to construct a network of 33kV lines from Karuma to Kigumba and on to the districts of Lira, Gulu, Masindi and Hoima.

[38] In May 2021, following a tour of the work site, the chairperson of the board of Uganda Electricity Generation Company Limited (UEGCL), Engineer Proscovia Margaret Njuki, set the date of commissioning as 22 June 2022.

[41] As of November 2023, with four of the six generators supplying power to the national grid, the remaining two turbines were expected to come online in 2024, with anticipated commercial commissioning planned for September 2024.

[44][45][46][47][48] The 132 kilovolt power line would start at the 132 kV Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) substation at Lira.

The line would travel in a general northeast direction to the city of Gulu, approximately 132 kilometres (82 mi) away, by road.

[49] From Gulu, the power line would travel in a general easterly direction for about 160 kilometres (99 mi), to end at Agago.

[44] As of June 2017, the website of the Electricity Regulatory Authority, stated that (a) preparation for implementation of the population resettlement plan were underway, (b) the updated feasibility study was in its final stages, (c) the pre-qualification of the contractors was ongoing and (d) the tender evaluation had been concluded.

[52] In January 2016, the German government committed to lend €40 million, on soft terms, towards the construction of this power line.