Uganda steps up telecom vandalism crackdown

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Uganda is turning up the heat on people who vandalise telecom infrastructure, and this time it’s backing the warnings with prison sentences. The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has welcomed the conviction of two offenders in separate cases this week, saying the rulings send a strong message that damaging telecom infrastructure or breaking SIM registration rules will no longer be treated lightly. The most notable case saw Sibaminya Sadick sentenced to five years in prison after he was found guilty of vandalising a telecommunications mast site in Kibaale District.

The crackdown matters because telecom infrastructure has become just as important as roads and electricity. When cables are stolen or towers are vandalised, mobile calls drop, internet services go offline, mobile money transactions fail and even emergency services can be disrupted. In the Kibaale incident, the damaged equipment was valued at UGX 23.6 million (about $6,300). The UCC says protecting telecom infrastructure is essential to keeping Uganda’s digital economy running, especially as more people depend on mobile banking, online education and digital healthcare.

The regulator is also cracking down on abuse of the country’s SIM registration system. In a separate case, Airtel Uganda agent Patrick Wanyera was sentenced to one year in prison after illegally registering a SIM card outside an approved registration centre and signing documents on behalf of a customer. Authorities said the SIM card was later used in a fake scholarship scam that defrauded a student. For the UCC, the conviction reinforces why proper SIM registration is critical to fighting fraud and other communications-related crimes.

The tougher stance has been building for more than a year. In April 2025, President Yoweri Museveni pledged to classify telecom towers as critical national infrastructure, paving the way for harsher penalties against vandals. A month later, telecom operators including MTN Uganda, Airtel Uganda and ATC Uganda launched the nationwide Tokigeza (“Don’t do it”) campaign after reporting hundreds of incidents of cable theft, battery theft and fuel theft between 2022 and 2024. Those attacks caused repeated service outages and increased the cost of maintaining telecom networks across the country.

Uganda’s latest convictions show that the government is moving beyond awareness campaigns and into stricter enforcement. As the country expands broadband access, digital payments and online public services, regulators are making it clear that telecom infrastructure is no longer viewed as ordinary private property but as national infrastructure that underpins the economy. The hope is that tougher penalties will deter vandals, reduce network disruptions and create a safer environment for telecom operators to continue investing in the country’s digital future.

Zambia is rewriting its postal rulebook to keep up with the digital economy. The country’s Ministry of Technology and Science, working with the Zambia Information and Communications Technology Authority (ZICTA), has begun consultations on the proposed Postal and Courier Services Bill, 2026, which will replace the Postal Services Act No. 22 of 2009. Per ITWeb, the goal is to modernise laws that were written long before eCommerce, digital financial services and integrated logistics became central to everyday life.

The proposed law is about much more than letters and parcels. Today, postal and courier companies are a key part of online shopping, last-mile delivery, digital payments, and financial inclusion. But Zambia says its current legal framework no longer reflects how the industry has evolved. The new bill is expected to strengthen consumer protection, encourage fair competition, modernise licensing rules and improve regulatory oversight, while ensuring more Zambians have access to reliable postal and courier services. It also aligns with the country’s Vision 2030, the Eighth National Development Plan, and its broader digital transformation agenda.

The reforms come after years of growing pressure to modernise Zambia’s digital economy. In September 2025, the Cabinet approved plans to replace outdated communications and postal laws as part of a wider push to support e-commerce, cybersecurity and digital business. The proposed postal legislation is the latest piece of that puzzle, following other reforms aimed at creating a more secure and competitive digital environment.

Officials say the changes are necessary because the sector faces several long-standing challenges. Rural post offices still suffer from poor connectivity, postal infrastructure remains underdeveloped, addressing systems are weak, participation in e-commerce is low and courier services are unevenly distributed across the country. The new legislation proposes measures to improve postal security, strengthen universal service obligations and use Zambia’s Universal Access and Service Development Fund to expand services into underserved and commercially unviable areas.

For Zambia, this is about ensuring its laws don’t hold back digital growth. As online shopping, fintech, and logistics continue to expand, governments across Africa are updating regulations that were written before the digital era. If passed, the new Postal and Courier Services Bill could make Zambia’s delivery ecosystem more efficient, competitive and better prepared for the country’s next phase of digital transformation.

Buying a phone or laptop in Kenya is about to become a lot less risky. Under new consumer protection rules introduced by the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), every mobile phone, tablet, and laptop sold in the country must now come with a minimum one-year warranty, a return policy, and after-sales support. The regulations, announced on July 22, 2026, also require sellers to clearly label refurbished devices and provide official receipts containing warranty details, giving consumers stronger protection against faulty electronics.

The new rules are a big win for consumers because Kenya’s electronics market has long been a mixed bag. While authorised dealers typically honour manufacturer warranties, many independent retailers and grey-market sellers have offered warranties lasting just 30 to 90 days, or none at all. When devices developed faults after purchase, buyers were often left to pay for repairs themselves. By introducing a standard one-year minimum warranty across the industry, regulators hope to make electronics shopping more transparent and hold vendors accountable for the products they sell.