(Ecofin Agency) - • Uganda’s telecom industry has launched a joint anti-vandalism initiative led by UCC.
• Over 820 cable vandalism incidents and widespread service disruptions have been recorded.
• Proposed reforms include stricter penalties and national tower surveillance integration.

Uganda’s telecommunications sector has launched a unified national campaign to address the growing problem of infrastructure vandalism, which has led to serious service disruptions and operational losses. The initiative, announced last week, is spearheaded by the Ugandan Communications Commission (UCC) in partnership with major operators MTN Uganda, Airtel Uganda, and ATC Uganda.

Titled “Tokigeza”, a Luganda term meaning “Do not do it”, the three-month campaign focuses on public awareness and community mobilization. The initiative includes media outreach via radio, television, and digital platforms, as well as grassroots engagement through schools, local meetings, and targeted outreach to landowners, law enforcement, and boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) drivers.

The campaign follows a sharp increase in vandalism cases. Between 2022 and 2024, the sector recorded more than 820 cable vandalism incidents, along with 283 fuel thefts and 90 battery thefts. These acts caused extended service blackouts, with some lasting over 134 hours, affecting districts such as Sheema, Kaliro, and Masaka.

Telecom operators and government agencies are now advocating for legislative and regulatory reforms. Proposed measures include revising the Penal Code to increase penalties for offenders, stricter control of the scrap metal trade, and integrating telecom tower surveillance into the national police video monitoring network. A cross-agency taskforce has also been proposed to coordinate enforcement efforts against sabotage.

In April 2024, a national stakeholder forum was held to discuss sustainable protections for telecom infrastructure. Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, emphasized the importance of public-private cooperation to safeguard ICT infrastructure as Uganda continues to expand digital connectivity.

President Yoweri Museveni also signaled his support for classifying telecom towers as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI), a designation that would reinforce legal protections and enhance surveillance systems. He has further proposed treating acts of vandalism as economic sabotage, subject to heavier legal penalties.

Still, no formal timeline has been given for these legal reforms, and implementation remains uncertain. Observers caution that even with CNI status, full resolution may remain elusive, pointing to Nigeria’s 2024 classification of telecom infrastructure, which has yet to curb persistent vandalism, especially on fiber optic lines.