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What was meant to be a glowing State House photo-op has instead exposed the deep anger many Ugandans are harbouring against telecom giant MTN Uganda.
President Yoweri Museveni, today, Thursday 12 Feb. 2026, hosted MTN Uganda Chairman Charles Mbire and the company’s top executives—CEO Sylvia Mulinge and GM Corporate Services Enid Adroma— at State House, Entebbe. Shortly after the meeting, the President posted on X: “Today at State House, Entebbe, I welcomed the Chairman of MTN Uganda, Charles Mbire, and his team. We held good discussions on the telecommunications sector and its role in driving socio-economic transformation, innovation and service delivery. I commend their continued contribution to Uganda’s development.”
MTN Uganda CEO Sylvia Mulinge also took to X, writing: “It was a privilege to be hosted by you, Your Excellency @KagutaMuseveni. We truly appreciated the opportunity for such a meaningful discussion on our shared vision for Uganda’s economic prosperity… We remain fully committed to expanding connectivity, driving innovation, and supporting inclusive development across the country.”
But as the corporate praise flowed, Ugandans stormed the comment sections — and what followed was a brutal public indictment of the telecom giant.
Joe did not mince words: “One thing they should consider, through you Mr. President, is keeping monthly bundles for limited browsing without expiry. You buy a monthly bundle and before you know it two days in, they’re already alerting you that you’ve used 98%. Really.” His frustration reflects a long-standing complaint about what customers call unrealistic data depletion and the expiry of voice and internet bundles.
Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa has previously weighed in on the matter, questioning the logic of expiring bundles. “This issue of expiry of data and voice bundles needs to be addressed. How do you tell me that bundles have expired? Technology has no expiry date… it’s like money on your account,” he said, urging regulators to act
Kassim Magoba raised another sore point linked to last month’s internet shutdown. “Humble request that you help us secure our data from @mtnug that was hopped when we were under Internet Lockdown. Let them be humans ko for once.” Sam Jonans echoed that unease: “We are still asking ourselves how did they come up with the idea of sending us messages towards the election day.” For many, trust has never fully recovered. There remains an ongoing court case regarding unsolicited campaign messages allegedly sent to subscribers ahead of the January 15 elections.
High charges dominated the outrage. Moses Serugo wrote bluntly: “Data bundles still expensive. Mobile Money charges still high.” Roben Baluku described the charges as “very exploitative and limiting the use of their service to bring people out of poverty.” He added that agents earn “small commissions” despite doing the groundwork for the company.
Mobile money fees — especially wallet-to-bank transfers and agent withdrawals — were singled out. One user pleaded: “Help us on MTN Uganda bank wallet-to-mobile transfers face high fees… agent withdrawals for significant amounts sometimes exceeding Shs125000.”
Others accused MTN of aggressive loan recovery tactics. Some users compared MTN’s mobile lending unfavorably with Airtel’s. One subscriber said of MTN: “They will deduct the money automatically once payment is due… They even threaten to reduce your loan limit on top of reporting you to the Credit Reference Bureau… I have no kind words for them.”
MTN’s enforcement is tied to the national ID system, as credit is issued against borrowers’ NINs, meaning defaulters can be flagged across the financial system. Industry players argue that bad borrowers drive up credit costs, but customers insist the methods feel punitive.
Isaac the young claimed MTN is bleeding customers: “MTN Uganda has lost a lot of customers due to their corrupt services like unnecessary charges when depositing money and sending money… that’s why most people are dumping it.”
There were also complaints about poor service. Nsubuga Imran wrote: “Dropped calls, slow data & weak customer care are hurting Ugandans who pay in full.” Poor connectivity, especially outside Kampala, and complaints about fibre services like Wakanet were also raised.
Questions about taxation surfaced too. One commenter asked: “Is @mtnug paying all the taxes due to the @GovUganda?” MTN Uganda is listed on the Uganda Securities Exchange, having floated 22.4 billion shares in 2021. While the listing gave Ugandans an opportunity to own part of the company, sector observers note that MTN Group remains majority shareholder.
The ghost of Uganda Telecom Limited (UTL) also resurfaced. Byarugaba Remegio lamented: “The matters of UTL are still dying in corridors.” Roben Baluku was harsher: “Had you focused on developing UTL to be like MTN, all that money would be ours as a Nation, who killed UTL, he/she should be arrested.” Government has in the past attempted to revive UTL as a stronger competitor in a market dominated by MTN and Airtel.
Even calls for new competition emerged.
Wanum urged: “You need to allow more advanced players like Starlink to set up base in Uganda and improve on our internet connectivity.” Analysts argue that without a strong third competitor, the duopoly has little pressure to lower prices.
Yet not all voices were critical. Murungi Ritah thanked the President for supporting telecom growth. Katutsi called it an “Excellent initiative… to promote innovation.” Mugarra Joseph praised MTN’s contribution, linking it to the country’s peace and stability.
Still, the overwhelming tone online was one of frustration. From bundle expiry to mobile money fees, from loan recovery methods to dropped calls, from unsolicited political messages to fears of market dominance, the anger was raw and public.
For a company that brands itself as the backbone of Uganda’s digital transformation, the message from the ground is clear: connectivity alone is not enough. Ugandans want affordability, fairness, transparency — and above all, respect.
After the handshakes at State House, the real test for MTN may not be boardroom commitments, but whether it listens to the bazzukulu who flooded the President’s timeline with grievances.
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