UCC CALLS FOR STAKEHOLDERS’ ACTION AS TELECOM VANDALISM THREATENS CONNECTIVITY

Internet Photo: Vandalism of underground fibers 

By Idarus Pajobo

Moyo

The Uganda Communications Commission — UCC — is urging stakeholders in the North West Nile region to join the fight against vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure.

The call was made during a stakeholder engagement held in Moyo District on September 8, 2026.

UCC is particularly concerned about the vandalism of fibre-optic cables, theft of batteries, siphoning of fuel and destruction of telecommunications equipment at network sites.

Between 2022 and 2024, telecom operators recorded more than 1,000 incidents of vandalism across the country. These included over 820 cases of cable vandalism, 283 fuel thefts and 90 battery thefts.

UCC says some of these incidents have resulted in communication outages lasting more than 134 hours, affecting businesses, access to essential services and communication within communities.

A digital video played during the engagement, the UCC Executive Director, Hon. George William Nyombi Thembo, explains how vandalism of telecommunications infrastructure is affecting communication services and the economy.

“Deliberate attacks on telecommunication infrastructure are a threat to our collective progress as a country.

Every act of vandalism can potentially cut off entire communities, sometimes for several days, leaving families and businesses disconnected.

That is why we are backing the “Tochigeza” campaign, because vandalism is not just a crime; it is economic sabotage that hurts each one of us.

We urge everyone to join this noble cause. If you see something, say something. Report any act of telecommunication vandalism immediately,” Said Hon George

Speaking to stakeholders, Engineer Emmanuel Muyomba, the Head of Regional Offices at UCC, urged leaders and communities to take greater responsibility in protecting telecommunications infrastructure, saying vandalism is taking place within communities and requires collective action to stop it.

“Some people in our community see that infrastructure as scrap. They go and steal equipment off those masts and sell them for scrap. They go and steal batteries and use them for other things. Some steal the fuel in the generators. So sometimes when you have a poor network, you may find that the service has been disrupted,” Engineer Emmanuel echoed.

The UCC Masindi and West Nile Regional Manager, Patrick JB Owacideu, says the Commission is also strengthening consumer protection while safeguarding the interests and investments of telecommunications operators.

“One of our candid roles is to promote and safeguard the interests of consumers and operators regarding the quality of communication services and equipment that they are using.” Says Patrick,

UCC has previously warned that vandalism not only disrupts communication services but also increases the cost of network maintenance and replacement, ultimately affecting consumers and slowing the expansion of reliable connectivity.

In 2024 alone, the communications sector reported losses of more than 180,000 US dollars from the theft of batteries, solar panels and generators at 26 sites. UCC also reported that replacing vandalized fiber infrastructure could cost an average of about 50,000 US dollars per incident.

The Commission has since intensified efforts to combat the vice through the TOKIGEZA campaign, which calls on communities to reject vandalism and report suspicious activities around telecommunications sites.

As Uganda continues to expand digital connectivity, stakeholders say protecting telecommunications infrastructure must remain a shared responsibility.

UCC is therefore calling on leaders, security agencies, telecom operators and communities to work together to prevent vandalism, protect investments and ensure uninterrupted communication services for the public.

Written by newsroom-radiopacis