Police in Nkonge village, Kyampisi Sub-county in Mukono District have arrested three men suspected of belonging to a syndicate that steals electricity cables and defrauds residents by posing as officials from the Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited.
The suspects, Mukisa Vincent, Jime Francis, and Lwangolo Ronald, were picked up during a joint operation conducted by local police and a specialized government task force set up to combat the theft of electricity infrastructure.
According to investigators, the trio had been targeting sections of the national power grid, stealing solid electrical cables and later approaching residents under the guise of UEDCL workers. They allegedly charged unsuspecting victims for illegal electricity connections while siphoning off valuable cables for sale as scrap.
During the operation, security recovered a motorcycle, registration number UEY 565, believed to have been used in their activities. Other suspected members of the group reportedly escaped on a second motorcycle and remain at large.
At Nkonge Police Post, officers displayed exhibits recovered from the suspects, including metal-spiked climbing boots used to scale electricity poles, coils of stolen wires and heavy-duty cables, as well as electricity meter boxes.
While in custody, the suspects traded accusations. Mukisa Vincent and Lwangolo Ronald pointed to Jime Francis as the alleged ringleader, claiming he recruited them and provided tools and logistical support for the operation.
However, Jime Francis denied masterminding the scheme. He told investigators he had been hired to cut a tree for a wealthy client when an individual identified only as Ashraf approached him to help “remove an electricity pole/tree,” insisting he did not fully understand the criminal nature of the task.
Mugugwa Hussein Ssula, head of the national task force on electricity and wire theft, condemned the group’s actions, saying such crimes disrupt power supply and cause significant financial losses.
“These individuals have been sabotaging electricity networks across the region. Their actions not only cost the electricity company millions but also deny communities access to reliable power,” Ssula said, adding that operations to dismantle such syndicates will continue.
The suspects are expected to appear in court to face charges including theft, impersonation, and vandalism of critical infrastructure.
Police have urged the public to remain vigilant and report individuals claiming to be electricity officials without proper identification, warning that such scams are increasingly being used to exploit residents.
The arrest forms part of a wider nationwide crackdown on vandalism of power infrastructure, a growing challenge that continues to undermine efforts to expand stable electricity access across Uganda.
