Airtel Uganda has said it is carrying out investigations following reports that mobile money was stolen from a phone belonging to the brother of famous cartoonist, Dr Jim Spire Ssentongo.
Dr Spire revealed on Saturday via X (formerly Twitter) that his brother, Joseph Kayinga, had his phone stolen during their other brother’s funeral.
The stolen phone was then allegedly used to withdraw all the money from his Airtel Money account and to secure a loan, leaving Kayinga with a debt that continues to attract interest.
“There is no way his details could have been accessed without an insider in Airtel Uganda, or else Airtel is that easy to hack and therefore not safe,” Dr Spire posted.
“Demands for refund met indifferent ears of Airtel, only insisting: Report to Bugoloobi.”
The post sparked public outcry, with others also sharing similar experiences and raising concerns over the safety of mobile money services and possible insider fraud.
Airtel Responds
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Airtel said:
“We deeply regret the distress caused to Mr. Joseph Kayinga following the loss of his mobile phone which was allegedly stolen from him at the funeral of his late brother & subsequently used by unknown person to access his Airtel Money Account.”
The company said it first learnt about the issue on July 3, through a tweet from journalist and activist Agather Atuhaire.
Airtel said it quickly contacted Mr Kayinga and asked him to report the matter to police and provide information to help with investigations.
“We immediately contacted Mr. Kayinga and requested him to report the matter to the Police and avail us with certain information to enable our team to investigate and resolve his complaint,” the statement read.
Airtel confirmed that investigations are still ongoing and promised to share the outcome with Mr Kayinga within 15 days.
“Our investigation is still underway, and Mr Kayinga has been engaged at all material times. Our findings and final position on the matter will be communicated to Mr. Kayinga within 15 (fifteen) days from today.”
The telecom also urged customers to keep their PINs safe and update their security information regularly.
“We reaffirm our support and commitment to the public and law enforcement agencies in investigating any allegations of fraud.”
The case has added to growing concerns about digital financial security and how telecom companies handle fraud, particularly when stolen SIM cards are used to access sensitive services.