The Minister of Agriculture, Frank Tumwebaze, has criticised telecom companies in Uganda for what he called “data theft”.
Writing on X (formerly Twitter), Mr Tumwebaze complained that MTN Uganda has been cheating his data for a long time.
“Please stop games with my data. I am fed up with you and so should be many others,” he wrote.
The minister said he has faced the same problem that many Ugandans have complained about for years.
Mr Tumwebaze called on the Ministry of ICT and the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to take action, and asked for the creation of a communications tribunal to help customers seek justice.
“Colleagues at Ministry of ICT, UCC, we urgently need a communications tribunal set up as envisaged in the law for aggrieved subscribers to seek justice! Apana MTN,” he said.
Ugandans have long complained about unfair data depletion. Many say that when they buy internet bundles, the data runs out too fast or expires before they can use it.
The UCC has in the past asked telecom companies to be more transparent and to explain clearly how data is used.
Apart from the issue of fast-depleting data, Ugandans also pay some of the highest internet prices in East Africa.
Some experts say internet is more expensive in Uganda because of high taxes, import duties on phones, and the cost of building and maintaining networks.
The minister’s public complaint renews debate about how telecoms operate in Uganda and how consumers are treated.