Atleast 17 individuals were on Wednesday, July 2, charged and remanded to Luzira Prison on terrorism-related charges linked to the coordinated vandalism of Uganda’s electricity infrastructure an operation authorities say has severely disrupted power supply across the country.
The suspects, among them Joseph Ssemanda, Emmanuel Kato, Yasin Mutyaba, Arafat Kakerewe, and Josephat Muhumuza, appeared before the Nakawa Chief Magistrates Court, where prosecutors formally read charges under Section 6(1)(b) and (3)(n) of the Anti-Terrorism Act, 2002.
Others charged include 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.
According to the state, the suspects, along with others still at large, are accused of intentionally sabotaging power infrastructure between 2022 and May 2025 across Kampala Metropolitan Area, Luweero, Nakasongola, Mityana, Kiboga, and Mubende.
Prosecutors allege the group’s objective was to intimidate the public and influence government policy for political, social, and economic motives — acts that led to major power disruptions, including blackouts at sensitive sites like Luweero Industries and Nakasongola Military Hospital.
Due to the capital nature of the offenses, the suspects were not permitted to enter a plea. State prosecutor Martin Odong told the court that investigations are still ongoing and requested an adjournment.
Grade One Magistrate Andrew Katurubuki remanded all suspects to Luzira Prison until July 17, when the case will return for mention.
Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) spokesperson Jonan Kiiza said the charges stemmed from a joint operation by UEDCL, Uganda Police’s Criminal Investigations Department, Defence Intelligence and Security (DIS), and the Uganda People’s Defence Forces (UPDF).
He confirmed that vandals and power thieves were recently targeted in Bombo, Mityana, Masaka, and Mukono regions hit hard by power outages in recent months.
“The public should note that the recent incidents of outages across the country were because of various acts of vandalism,” Kiiza 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, anyone convicted faces up to 15 years in prison, fines of up to Shs2 billion, or both.
Kiiza warned that these acts are not victimless.
“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,” he said.
“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. This is frustrating and bogging down our efforts to refurbish the network for reliable supply.”
Kiiza urged Ugandans to protect public electricity infrastructure and report any suspicious activity around installations.
“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,” he said.
He added, “The truth is, you cannot have a reliable and safe power supply or lower tariffs when your neighbours are stealing power and vandalising infrastructure.”
The case has further ignited a national conversation on the security of public utilities and the need for stronger community collaboration to protect vital infrastructure.
