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Police are hunting two former employees of the defunct power distributor, Umeme, over their alleged involvement in the vandalism of electricity infrastructure in the Savannah region.
The suspects, identified only as Isma and Juma, previously worked for Umeme in the Greater Luwero area. They are wanted in connection with a suspected criminal network involved in the theft of electric wires and other power installations.
The manhunt follows the recovery of three rolls of solidal wires during a police operation at Mpande village in Kalule parish, Nyimbwa sub-county, on Thursday morning.
Acting on information provided by local leaders, police arrested Musa Mayembo, 20, and William Kiryowa. Officers also impounded a Toyota Starlet, registration number UAF 413X, and a motorcycle, registration number UGC 852V, which are suspected to have been used to transport the stolen wires.
Savannah Regional Police spokesperson Sam Twiineamazima said preliminary investigations indicate that Mayembo admitted his home had been used as a collection point for stolen electric wires before they were transported to Kampala for sale.
He added that investigators believe the recovered wires were cut from electricity installations in various parts of the Savannah region, which comprises Luwero, Nakaseke and Nakasongola districts.
According to Twiineamazima, investigations have further established that buyers allegedly travel from Kampala to collect the stolen materials.
He said the Flying Squad and territorial police units have intensified operations to arrest the remaining suspects, dismantle the alleged criminal network and establish the full supply chain for the stolen electricity infrastructure.
Police have appealed to members of the public with information that could lead to the arrest of the fugitives or the recovery of stolen electricity infrastructure to report to the nearest police station.
The Savannah region has experienced persistent power outages in recent months, with the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) attributing part of the disruptions to increasing cases of vandalism targeting power lines and other electricity infrastructure.
The allegations against the former Umeme employees come more than a year after Uganda’s electricity distribution sector was restructured following the expiry of Umeme’s 20-year concession on March 31, 2025.
UEDCL assumed responsibility for electricity distribution on April 1, 2025, in 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 workers would be declared redundant, reports suggested that more than 500 former Umeme employees were not absorbed into UEDCL.
