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Message: [QUOTE="Munyaradzi Mafaro, post: 35514, member: 636"] Uganda President Museveni wants to protect cell towers against thieves. Yesterday, he met with American Tower Uganda officials at the State House and promised to declare telecom towers critical national infrastructure. This step aims to stop vandalism that harms communication across the country. Museveni also plans to connect tower cameras to the police security system. "I will give an order to the police for camera networks on these towers, linked with existing police surveillance," Museveni said. He supports harsh penalties for vandals, suggesting no bail for criminals caught damaging towers. He asked telecom companies to install cameras themselves. He also recommended using materials thieves find less attractive, like concrete poles. The president urged companies to add protective cages around tower equipment. ATC Uganda CEO Dorothy Kabagambe Ssemanda welcomed the support. She said her company has spent about 4.5 trillion Ugandan shillings building over 4,500 towers nationwide. These towers serve providers such as MTN and Airtel. They also help local economies with about 5,000 landlords earning money from tower sites. These landlords receive around 55 million shillings monthly from leasing their land. Ssemanda asked for help bringing electricity to 1,000 remote towers currently off-grid. ATC has already invested 120 billion shillings connecting towers to power, extending 2,200 kilometers of electrical lines. These connections benefit nearby communities, schools, health centers, and government offices. Museveni agreed to make tower electrification part of rural power programs. The meeting also included Uganda Communications Commission Executive Director George William Nyombi Thembo. Ssemanda emphasized that despite having American shareholders, ATC remains committed to Uganda. She asked for stronger laws and partnerships with the government to help telecom infrastructure support national development goals. [/QUOTE]

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