Uganda to launch ‘Tokigeza’ campaign against Telecom vandalism

The Ugandan Communications Commission (UCC), together with major telecom operators including MTN Uganda, Airtel Uganda, and ATC Uganda, has launched a national anti-vandalism campaign named ‘Tokigeza’ (meaning ‘Do not do it’) to combat the rising problem of telecom infrastructure vandalism. The three-month initiative aims to raise public awareness and mobilise communities to protect vital telecom assets.

The campaign employs a multi-channel approach involving radio, television, and digital media outreach, as well as grassroots engagement through schools, local meetings, landowners, law enforcement, and boda-boda (motorcycle taxi) drivers. Alongside the campaign, stakeholders call for stronger laws and better enforcement to combat vandalism.

Proposed measures include tougher penalties, tighter scrap metal trade controls, and linking telecom surveillance with national police monitoring. A cross-agency task force is also proposed.

The government supports these moves, with Ugandan President backing the classification of telecom towers as Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) and pushing for harsher penalties by treating vandalism as economic sabotage. The Ministry of ICT stresses the need for public-private cooperation to protect ICT infrastructure as Uganda’s digital network grows.

Despite these efforts, no formal timeline exists for legal reforms, and there are doubts about whether CNI status alone will stop vandalism. Nigeria’s experience shows that even with such classification, sabotage, especially of fibre optic cables, continues. Uganda will need sustained and coordinated action to protect its telecom infrastructure effectively.

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