The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), in collaboration with leading telecom operators MTN Uganda, Airtel Uganda, and ATC Uganda, today officially launched a nationwide anti-vandalism campaign dubbed “TOKIGEZA”—a Luganda phrase meaning “Don’t do it.”

The campaign, themed “Stop the Disruption. Protect Your Connection,” is a direct outcome of the National Telecom Stakeholder Forum on Vandalism held last year and follows a high-level engagement with His Excellency the President of the Republic of Uganda, where he pledged decisive action against acts of vandalism targeting critical telecom infrastructure.

Telecom infrastructure across Uganda has been under increasing attack, with vandals stealing cables, lithium-ion batteries, generators, and fuel—crippling essential communication services. Between 2022 and 2024, over 820 incidents of cable vandalism, 283 fuel thefts, 90 battery thefts, and multiple site disruptions were recorded by telecom operators. These acts have caused major outages—some lasting over 134 hours—impacting entire districts, including Sheema, Kaliro, and Masaka.

Hon. Nyombi Thembo, the Executive Director UCC, emphasized the gravity of the issue. “Telecom infrastructure is no longer a convenience—it is the backbone of our national development, powering education, finance, health, and security,” he said. “When a tower is vandalized, it is not just a pole brought down, it is the disruption of livelihoods, access to emergency services, and economic opportunity. TOKIGEZA is our united front to stop this trend in its tracks.”

The campaign has been bolstered by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni’s recent commitment to support the designation of telecom towers as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI)—a move that will trigger tougher laws, enforcement mechanisms, and national surveillance integration. The President also supported legal reforms to strengthen deterrent measures for this crime by categorising it as economic sabotage.

Ms Dorothy Ssemanda, CEO of ATC Uganda, welcomed the government’s support. “Our infrastructure supports our customers to connect their customers across Uganda. When a site is vandalized or a fiber cable is stolen, entire communities are cut off,” she said. “We are investing heavily in renewable energy, grid power, and community development – but without protection, those efforts are undermined. ‘Tokigeza’ is a call to action for every Ugandan to protect what connects us.”

Ms Ssemanda also revealed that vandalism not only affects business continuity but delays expansion of development in rural areas, derails government e-services, and undermines Uganda’s ambitions under the Digital Transformation Roadmap. “This campaign is a platform for us to educate, engage, and enforce. We are proud to be part of the TOKIGEZA movement,” she said.

The three-month nationwide campaign will leverage radio, TV, digital platforms, community barazas, and school outreach to drive public awareness. It will also engage law enforcement, district leaders, landlords, boda boda riders, and local vigilante groups to report, prevent, and deter criminal activity.

Mr Nicholas Beijuka the General Manager Capital Projects at MTN Uganda while representing Sylvia Mulinge, the  CEO of MTN Uganda, underlined the critical role of community partnerships. “As the largest telecom operator in Uganda, we’ve seen firsthand the pain of service outages due to theft and vandalism. When sites go dark because a single tower is vandalized, thousands of lives are affected,” he said. “Through TOKIGEZA, we want to remind every Ugandan that telecom infrastructure is theirs to protect. It’s not just a tower—it’s your child’s online class, your ability to send money home, and your lifeline in an emergency.”

Mr Soumendra Sahu, Managing Director of Airtel Uganda, expressed support for stronger deterrent measures, saying telecom infrastructure is strategic to Uganda’s socio-economic transformation and must therefore be jealously protected. “We support the call for comprehensive legislation and stronger policing. Airtel Uganda remains committed to working with UCC, government, and fellow operators to ensure that this campaign doesn’t just create awareness—but drives accountability,” he said.

The campaign also calls for:

• Tougher penalties for vandals through proposed amendments to the Penal Code
• Regulation of the scrap metal industry, which provides a ready market for stolen copper and materials
• Creation of a multi-agency national taskforce to combat telecom infrastructure sabotage
• Integration of tower security systems within the national Police CCTV network.

Our call to action is for all players in the sector, including operators, Internet Service Providers, infrastructure landlords and local community leaders are called upon to embrace the TOKIGEZA campaign. The campaign strongly encourages the public to report incidents of vandalism through the toll-free hotline: 0800282662.

Vandalism affects all of us. If you see something, say something. Let every Ugandan understand that vandalizing a tower is disrupting your own connection. TOKIGEZA – Do not do it!