The President’s directive follows a spate of vandalism incidents that have left several areas in Nakasongola, Luwero, and Nakaseke districts in darkness due to the destruction of electric poles and theft of wires.
President Yoweri Museveni has directed the Chief of Defence Forces, Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to establish an inter-agency security committee to decisively address the growing cases of electricity infrastructure vandalism in central Uganda.
The President’s directive follows a spate of vandalism incidents that have left several areas in Nakasongola, Luwero, and Nakaseke districts in darkness due to the destruction of electric poles and theft of wires. The most recent cases have been reported in Wabigalo, Kakooge, and Katuugo towns in Nakasongola District, where unknown individuals armed with saws cut down electric poles, stole cables, and fled, plunging businesses and homes into power outages.
While addressing the media at the State Lodge in Luwero Town during his Parish Development Model (PDM) tour, Museveni condemned the acts of sabotage and hinted at the possible use of a shoot-to-kill strategy to deter the vandals.
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The President was responding to concerns from journalists about what actions the government is taking to stop the persistent vandalism, which has paralyzed business operations and disrupted livelihoods in the affected areas.
Museveni said he had instructed Gen. Muhoozi to form a committee comprising different security agencies to plan and implement measures to stop the vandalism.
Among the proposed strategies are intensified security deployments and the installation of CCTV cameras in hotspots.
In December 2024, unknown individuals vandalized two high-voltage electric poles in Lubenge Swamp near Kakooge Town and made away with 600 meters of wire valued at approximately Shs 20 million.
According to local security reports, many of the suspects involved in vandalism across the Savannah Region originate from Kampala and Wakiso districts. In November last year, police in Luwero District arrested three men from Matugga Town, Wakiso District, who were caught by residents cutting electric wires from poles in Kitasure Village, Kikyusa Sub-county. In June, five suspects from the same districts were arrested in Nakaseke over similar offences.
The former power distributor, UMEME, reported in 2021 that the energy sector lost over Shs 26 billion due to stolen copper wires, vandalized transformers, and damaged poles. In response to the growing threat, police have proposed charging suspected vandals under the Anti-Terrorism Act, hoping to impose tougher penalties and deter future attacks.
President Museveni is expected to conclude his PDM tour in Nakasongola District today, where he will commission the PURA Organic Factory and address a public rally.
