Lugazi man killed while scaling high-voltage electrical tower

A suspected vandal has died after being electrocuted while attempting to climb a high-voltage electricity transmission tower along the Owen Falls–Lugazi transmission line in Lugazi.

The Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) said in a statement that the man was discovered lifeless on the steel structure after reportedly attempting to access the electricity infrastructure. 

The body was found wedged within the metal beams of the tower and hanging upside down.

In a statement shared with the public, UETCL said the individual is suspected to have been attempting vandalism when he was electrocuted by the high-voltage installation.

“UETCL informs the public that a suspected vandal was electrocuted while attempting to climb a transmission tower on the Owen Falls–Lugazi transmission line in Lugazi. The individual is currently suspended on the tower as arrangements are being made for a technical team to safely retrieve the body,” the company said.

The matter has been handed over to the Uganda Police Force for further investigation.

The power utility warned members of the public against attempting to access or vandalise electricity infrastructure, noting that high-voltage installations carry dangerous currents that can easily result in serious injury or death. 

UETCL urged communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activity around power lines and transmission towers.

Vandalism of electricity infrastructure remains a growing concern in Uganda. 

In November 2025, another suspected vandal died while attempting to dismantle a high-voltage transmission tower in Mukono District after becoming trapped within the angle bars of the structure during the attempt.

The vice has also disrupted electricity supply and caused major economic losses. Officials say the destruction of a transmission tower in Mukono last year blocked the distribution of about four million units of electricity and affected more than 128,000 customers, including hundreds of factories along the industrial corridor.

Uganda’s Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, Ruth Nankabirwa, has previously condemned the destruction of power infrastructure, describing it as economic sabotage that threatens national development.

“Vandalising power infrastructure is not just theft; it is an attack on national stability, public safety and our economic progress,” she said while responding to earlier cases of tower vandalism.

The Electricity Regulatory Authority has also warned that vandalism of power lines and towers has led to blackouts, delayed energy projects and the loss of large quantities of transmission materials across the country.

Security agencies have stepped up enforcement, with police recently arresting suspects linked to cable theft and other acts of electricity vandalism in the Kampala metropolitan area.