This announcement follows growing concerns raised by parliamentarians about mobile money scams and other fraud tactics.
The government has vowed to investigate a network of fraudsters allegedly working in collaboration with telecom companies to swindle politicians, government officials, and the general public.
This announcement follows growing concerns raised by parliamentarians about mobile money scams and other fraud tactics.
During a plenary session chaired by Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa, several MPs voiced their frustrations over the rise in fraud cases, particularly involving conmen manipulating mobile money services.
Tayebwa revealed to the House that he had been a target of these fraudsters, who frequently changed their phone numbers to avoid detection.
He recounted an incident in which a scammer, pretending to work for the Ministry of Energy, attempted to extort money from him by claiming a transformer was ready for supply.
“Countries like Nigeria have imposed heavy penalties on telecom companies for failing to deactivate fraudulent numbers,” Tayebwa said.
“Here in Uganda, we passed a law requiring all SIM cards to be registered. What happened to that? Telecom companies should face consequences for allowing unregistered lines to be used by conmen.”
Even high-ranking officials, including ministers, have fallen victim to these fraud schemes.
Information minister Chris Baryomunsi shared his own experience, where he was duped into participating in a fake live radio talk show.
“I was conned into what I thought was a live radio debate,” Dr Baryomunsi recounted.
“I had informed my personal assistant and security to tune in, only to find out the station was playing music instead. It was an embarrassing moment.”
Baryomunsi assured MPs that the government will investigate the situation thoroughly, promising to engage both telecom companies and the Ministry of Security to identify and close gaps in the system.
“We will hold telecom companies accountable if they are found negligent, particularly for issuing SIM cards without proper registration,” he added.
MPs are calling for severe penalties, including the deregistration of phone numbers belonging to deceased individuals, which fraudsters have been using.
Kitgum Municipality MP Denis Onek lit emphasized the need for telecom companies to stop issuing unregistered numbers and called for compensation for victims.
“These fraudsters are everywhere,” said Rubabo MP Namanya Naboth. “One even called me, pretending to have lost a mother. I offered my ambulance, but he refused and instead asked for money. It’s time the ministers responsible take action and force telecom companies to deregister numbers used by these criminals.”
The government’s next steps are being closely monitored, as the public demands swift action to curb this growing menace.
