The police have launched investigations into alleged acts of vandalism on the national CCTV camera network by political candidates ahead of the 2026 general elections.
A general inquiry file (GEF 052/2025) has been opened to trace politicians whose campaign posters are said to have disrupted fibre cables supporting police CCTV surveillance in parts of the Kampala Metropolitan area.
According to preliminary findings, several CCTV connections in Kawempe, Nansana, Kakiri, and other parts of Wakiso district have been rendered non-functional after large posters were placed directly on fibre-optic cables.
“We suspect that these politicians unknowingly erected their posters on these fibre cables, which have disconnected police CCTV cameras in various areas. We are now searching for these politicians to warn them,” a senior officer in the ICT directorate said.
As political campaigns begin to gain momentum ahead of the 2026 elections, posters of all sizes have been mounted on electric poles, transformers, perimeter walls, and even public buildings, with some inadvertently interfering with vital infrastructure.
Police say some of the posters have been pulled down from strategic surveillance installations, including camera poles. However, no arrests have been made.
“This damage and disconnections resulted from campaign posters in Kazo-Angola Zone, which were erected where the fibre cable passes. The scene was documented, and the posters were recovered and exhibited. No arrests made,” the Kampala North ICT officers’ report reads.
Kampala Metropolitan Police spokesperson Patrick Onyango said he was yet to be fully briefed on the matter but urged political actors to exercise caution and consult local authorities before putting up posters.