By Patricia K. Litho
Uganda’s push for digital inclusion and connectivity has brought with it a less glamorous reality: a growing mess of tangled wires, poorly placed poles, and unsafe installations across the country. A walk-through Kampala or indeed many towns reveals electricity and telecom infrastructure competing for space in ways that raise both aesthetic and safety concerns.
Television and internet cables hang from trees or snake across drains, while telecom poles often stand just inches from electricity distribution poles.
This proximity may save operators the cost of digging but it undermines the integrity of power infrastructure, increasing risks of collapse during storms. Even worse, there have been cases of technicians being electrocuted due to hazardous installations. The result is a dangerous, cluttered landscape that highlights one critical gap: lack of coordination.
Uganda has multiple regulators and utility providers, yet they seem to operate in silos. What is urgently needed is an integrated national infrastructure plan that promotes safety, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness.
This would include pole-sharing agreements, safe clearance distances, unified mapping, and proper scheduling of works. Without such coordination, public safety and the credibility of infrastructure investment remain at risk.
Equally important is respect for property rights. Whereas the electricity sector has clear right-of-way practices, some telecom operators appear to adopt a “dig first, apologize later” approach, leaving landowners to wake up to poles and cables on their property without prior consent. This fuels unnecessary conflict and erodes public trust.
Moving forward, regulators must enforce standards, utilities must collaborate, and communities must be sensitized about their rights. Uganda cannot afford to compromise safety in the name of connectivity. Our ambition for modern, digital infrastructure must be matched by order, accountability, and protection for both workers and citizens.
