UEDCL Warns Public Against Fake Outage Notices Amid Genuine, Prolonged Blackouts
KAMPALA, Uganda — October 18, 2026 — The Uganda Electricity Distribution Company Limited (UEDCL) has issued a public warning urging residents to disregard forged social media notices claiming widespread power outages, even as genuine blackouts continue to plague several communities across the country.
In a statement released on October 18, 2026, UEDCL cautioned the public against false posts circulating online, which included claims of a full-day shutdown on October 17 in areas such as Mbale City and Wakiso. The utility company emphasized that citizens should only trust information disseminated through its official channels.
“Please disregard the post currently circulating on social media, as it contains false and misleading information,” UEDCL stated in an official post on its X account (@UEDCLTD). “We urge the public to remain vigilant, avoid sharing unverified content, and rely only on UEDCL’s official communication channels for accurate and verified information.”
The warning against misinformation comes as residents in several areas—including Kitintale, Kyanja, and Najjeera—grapple with actual, persistent power outages, some of which have lasted for days. Customers have taken to social media to vent their frustration over what they describe as slow restoration times, noting that their complaints remain unresolved despite having been issued reference numbers.
Addressing the real outages, UEDCL attributed the disruptions to a combination of technical faults, incidents of vandalism, and high electricity demand.
To combat these ongoing reliability issues, the company noted that it is currently pushing forward with infrastructure upgrades. UEDCL highlighted ongoing work at the Kawanda substation as part of a broader effort to bolster the grid’s stability and boost overall power reliability by late 2026.
As repairs continue, UEDCL is asking for the public’s patience while acknowledging the faults, while simultaneously urging vigilance against the spread of fake outage notices online.
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