Nakawa Chief Magistrate’s court has remanded a police officer and 17 other individuals to Luzira prison on charges related to the vandalism of electricity infrastructure.
Police constable driver Emmanuel Kato, attached to Mukono central police station, was arraigned alongside Joseph Semanda, Josephat Muhumuza, Yasin Mutyaba Ssalongo, Arafat Kakerewe, Yusuf Abdul Razak, Pius Habasaa, Pius Kyarisiima, Gerald Ampumuza, Fredrick Otieno, Robert Nirere, Badda Ayub, Yashin Mutebi, John Muyingo, Juma Mutabazi, Tumwekwatse Ssezario, and Kawalya Deo James.
The group appeared before grade one magistrate Andrew Katulubuki and was charged with terrorism, a capital offence punishable by up to 15 years in jail or a fine of Shs 2 billion under the Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2022, which the magistrate’s court lacks jurisdiction to try.
Katulubuki henceforth adjourned the case to July 17, 2025, to allow for further investigations. According to the prosecution led by Martin Odong, the suspects allegedly vandalised power lines between April 2022 and May 2025 in several districts, including Kampala, Luwero, Nakasongola, Mityana, Kiboga, and Mubende.
Odong said the accused intentionally targeted the national electricity grid in an attempt to disrupt essential services and influence government operations. The alleged acts reportedly disrupted power supply to critical facilities such as the Nakasongola Military hospital and installations under Luwero Industries Limited.
Outside the courtroom, Jonan Kiiza, head of corporate and stakeholder affairs at Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL), warned that such acts of vandalism are economic crimes that not only sabotage national infrastructure but also increase power tariffs and compromise public safety.
“The public should note that the recent incidents of outages across the country were because of various acts of vandalism. The public also needs to be aware that power theft and vandalism are economic crimes punishable by prolonged jail terms or hefty fines if proven guilty,” said Kiiza.
Kiiza added that the theft of transformer oil, sometimes repurposed in roadside food stalls poses grave public health risks. He urged communities to take collective responsibility in safeguarding power infrastructure, warning that continued vandalism threatens the reliability and affordability of electricity across the country.
“The money we are spending on repairing and replacing vandalised equipment could have been invested in creating greater customer experience and boosting government access agenda. This is frustrating and bogging down our efforts to refurbish the network for reliable supply. Vandalism and power thefts are a national problem, which amounts to an economic crime, and raise the price of electricity for consumers,” he said.
Kiiza noted that vandalism and power theft activities directly impact on electricity supply reliability, the tariffs and more importantly, the safety of the public and even those involved in this heinous vice.
“The truth is, you cannot have a reliable and safe power supply or lower tariffs when your neighbours are stealing power and vandalising the distribution infrastructure,” he noted.
“Electrical installations are a public asset. Therefore, it is everybody’s responsibility to watch over them in our neighbourhoods. Power theft and vandalism do not only affect UEDCL, but all of us whose livelihoods and lifestyles depend on electricity every day.”
Meanwhile, police spokesperson ACP Rusoke Kituuma pledged to fast-track the prosecution of suspects involved in what he described as heinous and economically devastating crimes.