Police have launched a manhunt for two former employees of former electricity distributor Umeme over their alleged involvement in a criminal network accused of vandalising electricity infrastructure across Uganda’s Savannah region.
The suspects, identified only as Isma and Juma, previously worked for Umeme in the Greater Luwero area and are wanted in connection with the theft of electricity cables and other power installations, according to police.
The search follows an operation in Mpande village, Kalule parish, Nyimbwa sub-county, where officers recovered three rolls of solid electrical wire believed to have been stolen from the national power network.
During the operation, police arrested Musa Mayembo, 20, and William Kiryowa. Investigators also impounded a Toyota Starlet, registration number UAF 413X, and a motorcycle, registration number UGC 852V, which they believe were used to transport the stolen materials.
Savannah regional police spokesperson Sam Twiineamazima said preliminary investigations indicate that Mayembo admitted his home had been used as a collection point for stolen electricity wires before they were transported to Kampala for sale.
Police believe the recovered cables were cut from electricity installations in various parts of the Savannah region, which covers the districts of Luwero, Nakaseke and Nakasongola. Investigators also suspect that buyers travel from Kampala to purchase and transport the stolen materials.
Twiineamazima said the Flying Squad and territorial police units had intensified operations to arrest the remaining suspects, dismantle the alleged criminal network and establish the full supply chain behind the theft of electricity infrastructure.
Police have appealed to the public to provide information that could lead to the arrest of the two fugitives or the recovery of stolen electricity equipment.
The investigation comes amid a rise in vandalism targeting power infrastructure in the Savannah region, where repeated theft of electricity cables has contributed to prolonged power outages.
The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has previously cited vandalism as one of the major causes of supply disruptions.
The allegations also come more than a year after Uganda’s electricity distribution sector underwent a major restructuring following the expiry of Umeme’s 20-year concession on March 31, 2025.
UEDCL took over electricity distribution the following day, a transition that resulted in hundreds of former Umeme employees losing their jobs after the state-owned utility adopted a leaner workforce.
Although the government had indicated that about 190 employees would be declared redundant, reports at the time suggested that more than 500 former Umeme workers were not absorbed into the new structure.
