Ex-Umeme employees wanted over power infrastructure vandalism

What the report says

Police in Luwero District, Uganda, are searching for two former Umeme employees, identified as Isma and Juma, over alleged involvement in vandalizing electricity infrastructure across the Savannah Region. According to the report, investigators believe the pair were linked to a wider network that stole electric wires and other power equipment from parts of Luwero, Nakaseke and Nakasongola.

The case escalated after police recovered three rolls of Solido electric wire during an operation at Mpande Village in Kalule Parish, Nyimbwa Sub-county. Acting on information from local leaders, officers arrested two young men, Musa Mayembo and William Kiryowa, and also impounded a car and a motorcycle suspected of being used to move the stolen materials. Police said one suspect admitted his home had been used as a collection point before the wires were taken to Kampala for sale.

Savannah Regional police say the search for the remaining suspects is ongoing and that specialized units have been deployed to disrupt the network and trace the supply chain. The report also notes that the region has faced repeated power disruptions in recent months, with electricity officials blaming at least part of the problem on vandalism. In broader context, Uganda’s power distribution sector was restructured in 2025 after Umeme’s concession ended and UEDCL took over operations, leaving many former workers out of the new arrangement.