Uganda: The Hackers Are Coming for Africa's Critical Infrastructure

What the report says

INTERPOL is warning that Africa’s critical infrastructure is facing a more advanced cybercrime threat, with power, telecom and financial systems increasingly in the crosshairs. In Uganda, the case highlighted is the reported ransomware claim against Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL), the state-owned utility that moves bulk electricity across the country. According to the material cited by AllAfrica from The Independent in Kampala, the Qilin ransomware group said in August 2025 that it had breached UETCL and taken internal contracts, identity documents, financial statements and service agreements. Cyber-threat monitoring platforms recorded the claim the next day.

INTERPOL’s African Cyberthreat Assessment Report 2026 places that incident within a wider regional pattern. The report describes the UETCL episode as a suspected ransomware event affecting monitoring systems linked to Uganda’s national power grid, though electricity service was restored through backup procedures. The broader concern is that modern utilities depend on connected digital systems for monitoring and control, which creates new opportunities for criminals to disrupt essential services remotely.

The article also notes that UETCL’s public discussion of security in May 2026 focused mainly on physical vandalism, patrols and cooperation with law enforcement, rather than cyber risk. INTERPOL says East Africa is also seeing major threats in mobile-money fraud and telecom attacks, including large numbers of denial-of-service and intrusion attempts in Kenya. The regional context shows why energy and other essential services are now being treated as cyber targets as well as physical ones.