Robinah Nabbanja, Uganda’s Prime MinisterBy Prisca WanyenyaThe Prime Minister, Robinah Nabbanja has directed the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to reclaim all radio frequencies that have been inactive for more than three years, after reports that some scrupulous individuals awarded radio frequencies have held onto them, with hope of selling them at higher prices, yet several hard to reach areas are struggling to obtain a single radio frequency.“I want to direct my granddaughter, Kasule Lumumba, there are people who have got frequencies and they are sitting on them for years. Years and they are looking for money out of that. I direct that those who have had these frequencies for more than three years they will be removed,” said Nabbanja.Her directive followed a complaint raised by John Bosco Kariisa (Buhweju West) during the 20th August 2026, plenary sitting where he asked Government to intervene in the shortage of radio frequencies in the country, a challenge he said is infringing on his people’s access to information.Kariisa noted, “As we grow this economy, access to information is one of the most important things. Buhweju is a hard to reach district and we have been trying to establish radio stations there so that people can have information, but there is this monster called radio frequency. When you write to UCC, they say there is no radio frequency, yet, there are so many people out there with dormant frequencies and they are selling them at a very high cost. “Kariisa asked the Prime Minister to clarify if there is a way how these radio frequencies are controlled and marketed according to areas like Buhweju is able to get a radio frequency and enable him to establish a radio station that people can have access to information.Kasule Lumumba, Minister of ICT and National Guidance informed Parliament that a radio frequency is a resource of government and one has to apply for it and government has advertised, further adding that Government is negotiating with other East African nations to end the challenge of interference of signals in border districts.“I urge all those who are interested to apply and it’s done online, it is a transparent process, but where we have issues, where frequencies enter into other frequencies, we are handling that so that we are able to allocate you space and you are not, you don’t get interferences from other radios. On issues to do with the international interferences, that one is also being handled at the East African level to be sure that the space you allocate it, you use it effectively,” Lumumba remarked.The Speaker of Parliament, Jacob Oboth asked Government to ensure that there is a mechanism put in place to ensure that individuals applying online for frequencies have the capacity to establish a radio, instead of just applying for frequency, to hold it. Meanwhile, Iddi Basajja (Bushenyi-Ishaka Municipality) tasked the Prime Minister to provide an update on internet connectivity across the football pitches that are meant to host the African Cup of Nations in 2027, given that some fans will not attend matches physically.Basajja noted, “A few weeks ago, we got an update on AFCON by the Honourable Minister of Education, but we discussed issues to do with infrastructure, stadiums and the like. But we have not gotten an update on the internet connection, because not everyone will access those stadiums to watch those matches, and government has injected a lot of money in AFCON. So, this is a national issue. So, we would like to know the progress and how far and the infrastructure we have gotten as far as the internet connection is concerned in regard to AFCON.”The Prime Minister, Nabbanja provided updates facility by facility, revealing that internet connection to Hoima Stadium is 100%, while the internet connection to Namboole is at 20%, owing to the ongoing construction works, with hopes that the internet connections will be complete by December 2026.She added, “Internet connection to Aki-Bua facility is at around 10%, because they are completing the structure as we speak now. There are these training facilities, most of them are still below 50, but we have hope that by December 31st, all of them will have internet connection.”The post Nabbanja Directs UCC To Reclaim Dormant Radio Frequencies Held for Over 3 Years appeared first on Business Focus.