Kampala, Uganda: A total of 17 suspects were Wednesday, July 02, charged and remanded to Luzira Prison on terrorism-related charges after being arrested for their alleged role in large-scale vandalism targeting Uganda’s electricity infrastructure.
The suspects, including Joseph Ssemanda, Emmanuel Kato, Yasin Mutyaba, Arafat Kakerewe, Josephat Muhumuza, Yusuf Abdul Razak, Pius Habasa, Pius Kyarisiima, Gerald Ampumuza, Fredrick Otieno, Robert Nirere, Ayub Badda, Yasin Mutebi, John Muyingo, Juma Mutabazi, Ssezario Tumwekwatse, and Deo James Kawalya, were on the afternoon arraigned before Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court, where they were read the charges contrary to Section 6 (1)(b) and (3)(n) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2002, were formally read out.
The state alleges that between 2022 and May 2025, the accused and others still at large deliberately interfered with electricity networks across Kampala Metropolitan Area, Luweero, Nakasongola, Mityana, Kiboga, and Mubende.
Prosecutors say the group intended to intimidate the public and influence government policy for political, social, and economic motives, resulting in severe disruptions to critical services, including electricity supply to Luweero Industries and Nakasongola Military Hospital.
Because the charges are capital in nature, the suspects were not allowed to take a plea, as only the High Court has jurisdiction to hear such cases.
State prosecutor Martin Odong informed the court that investigations remain ongoing and requested an adjournment. Grade One Magistrate Andrew Katurubuki remanded all suspects to Luzira until July 17, when the matter will return to court for mention.
Speaking after the proceedings, Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (UEDCL) spokesperson Jonan Kiiza said the arrests followed a coordinated crackdown by UEDCL, the Uganda Police Criminal Investigations Department, Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS), and the UPDF.
The operations, according to Kiiza, targeted vandals and power thieves in Bombo, Mityana, Masaka, and Mukono, whose actions have crippled businesses and disrupted daily life.
“The public should note that the recent incidents of outages across the country were because of various acts of vandalism,” he said. “Power theft and vandalism are economic crimes punishable by prolonged jail terms or hefty fines if proven guilty.”
Under the Electricity (Amendment) Act, 2022, those convicted face up to 15 years in prison, fines of up to Shs2 billion, or both.
Mr Kiiza explained that vandalism and theft not only cause prolonged blackouts but also raise tariffs, threaten security, and disrupt vital services in hospitals, schools, and other critical institutions.
“The money we are spending on repairing and replacing vandalised equipment could have been invested in creating a better customer experience and boosting government access efforts,” he added. “This is frustrating and bogging down our efforts to refurbish the network for reliable supply.”
He cautioned that these crimes directly undermine electricity reliability and endanger public safety, even for those involved. “The truth is, you cannot have a reliable and safe power supply or lower tariffs when your neighbours are stealing power and vandalising infrastructure.”
Kiiza urged Ugandans to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity near power installations, reminding the public that electricity infrastructure is a shared asset.
“Electrical installations are a public asset. It is everybody’s responsibility to watch over them. Power theft and vandalism not only affect UEDCL, they affect all of us whose lives depend on electricity every day.”
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