Uganda: Teleco officers deported amid licence renewal application

Uganda has deported three senior officials of mobile network operator MTN in unclear circumstances. Olivier Prentout, French, Annie Bilenge Tabura, Rwandese, and Elza Muzzolini, Italian were all deported in January for what the police termed as ‘national security investigations’. Uganda has previously raised concerns about MTN’s foreign ownership. After being in the country for about 20 years, MTN is operating on an interim licence after its licence expired last year. At the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, MTN CEO met with Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni. The president tweeted that the company should be listed in the Uganda Stock Exchange so that Ugandans could also own it.