Every day, our service centres and call lines receive countless reports from customers who’ve fallen victim to fraud. People are tricked into sharing their PINs.
Others lured into clicking fake links. Money stolen on mobile money platforms. Identities compromised. These aren’t isolated cases; they’re happening across the country, and they’re growing in scale and sophistication. But the effect is deeper than just lost funds, it is trust lost.
I’ve met people who refuse to use online banking or shop on the internet. Not because they don’t see the convenience, but because they’re afraid. They’ve witnessed too many stories of scams or been victims of fraud themselves. This fear is quietly undermining Uganda’s digital agenda. Because no matter how advanced our platforms become, they can only thrive if people trust them enough to use them. Cybercrime isn’t a future threat. It’s a present crisis. And if we don’t address it head-on, we risk stalling the very progress we’ve worked so hard to achieve. I was recently part of the 5th Annual CEO Cybersecurity Breakfast hosted by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), the regulator of the telecommunications industry in Uganda. The theme, “The CEO’s strategic edge: Bridging past wins with future cyber visions,†was a reminder that cybersecurity is no longer a backroom technical issue. It’s a boardroom issue; a national priority; a personal responsibility. Uganda’s digital economy is expanding rapidly. Fintech is booming. Mobile connectivity is everywhere. People can now pay bills, access credit, learn online, or consult doctors through their mobile phones. But as we digitize more of our services, we also increase our exposure to digital threats. These threats are no longer simple website hacks or stolen passwords. We’re seeing AI-powered scams, deepfake impersonations, and sophisticated social engineering. It only takes one overlooked software update or one compromised vendor for an entire service to be brought down. For sectors like telecom and fintech, which are the backbone of Uganda’s digital growth, this is a major risk. One breach on a mobile money system could affect millions of people. And once trust in digital systems is lost, it’s incredibly difficult to regain. That’s why cybersecurity must be embedded into everything we do, not just IT operations, but product development, customer support, and corporate governance. Leaders must treat cybersecurity with the same urgency they give to finance, compliance, and risk. More importantly, we can’t do it alone. Cyber threats don’t respect company boundaries. Hackers exploit weaknesses wherever they find them – whether it’s in a supplier, a partner platform, or a public network. This demands stronger cross-sector collaboration. Government, telecoms, banks, fintechs, and startups must align under a shared, national cybersecurity strategy. We’ve seen good progress through public-private dialogues and some regulatory reforms, but we need a more coordinated, well-funded, and action-driven approach.
One of our most pressing challenges is talent. Uganda simply doesn’t have enough trained cybersecurity professionals. We need to invest heavily in local skills development, university programmes, professional certifications, mentorships, and industry-academia partnerships, to build a strong, future-ready cybersecurity workforce. This is because the pace of technology won’t slow down. With 5G, AI, and digitised public services rolling out across the country, the threat landscape will only grow more complex. If we’re not proactive, we’ll be playing catch-up, and that’s a dangerous place to be. At the heart of it all is trust. People will only continue using digital platforms if they trust them. And trust is built on one foundation: security.
Cybersecurity isn’t optional. It’s the infrastructure beneath our digital future. We need to invest in it, prioritize it, and protect it, because everything else depends on it.
The writer is the Chief Executive Officer at MTN Uganda
