BY ALEX PITHUA

President Museveni has vowed to classify telecommunication sites as critical national infrastructure to combat widespread vandalism, which disrupts connectivity and service delivery across Uganda.

The commitment was made on Wednesday during a meeting with representatives from American Tower Uganda (ATC Uganda), led by Dr. Aminah Zawedde, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, at State House, Entebbe.

ATC Uganda, a subsidiary of American Tower Corporation—a global real estate investment trust specializing in telecom infrastructure—provides shared wireless communications facilities in Uganda.

President Museveni announced plans to integrate surveillance systems at telecom sites with the national security network, enabling real-time monitoring to enhance rapid response to theft and vandalism.

“I will instruct the police to connect IP-based cameras at each site to the existing national surveillance backbone. These cameras will feed into zonal command centers, allowing security personnel to monitor activities in real time,” he stated.

The President also endorsed stricter measures against vandals, proposing, “Administrative orders denying bail for offenders will act as a strong deterrent.” 

He urged telecom operators to deploy high-resolution cameras and reinforce site security with anti-tamper materials.

Dorothy Kabagambe Ssemanda, CEO of ATC Uganda, expressed gratitude for the President’s support and reaffirmed the company’s commitment to collaboration.

She highlighted ATC Uganda’s substantial investments in Uganda’s telecom ecosystem.

“We have invested approximately UGX 4.5 trillion in deploying over 4,500 shared telecom sites, supporting mobile network operators like MTN, Airtel, and others,” she said.

The meeting was attended by George William Nyombi Thembo, Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

Alex Pithua is News editor at zoomer Africa