By Mulengera Reporters
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has intensified its nationwide crackdown on illegal broadcasters, impounding equipment from an unlicensed station, Malele Community Radio 92.0FM, in Gomba District.
The station, located in Malele Village, Kyegonza Sub- County, was found operating without a valid UCC license. Owned by Huzairu Kyeza, the radio reportedly broadcast within a radius of about 40 kilometers despite lacking authorization.
A joint enforcement team comprising UCC officials, police, and army officers—led by UCC Legal Enforcement Officer Dennis Okalang—conducted the operation after a difficult search to pinpoint the station’s exact location. The breakthrough came when the team identified a makeshift studio concealed in a room adjacent to a salon where Kyeza was found seated with colleagues.
Among those present was Malele Village Chairman Vincent Kiyimba Bakayimbudde, who was later discovered to be a board member of the station. Although he sought to explain the origins of the radio, the operation proceeded after security officers uncovered the hidden studio.
Authorities ordered the room opened and found a substandard broadcasting setup. The team immediately dismantled the facility and confiscated equipment, including a laptop, desktop computer, four wireless microphones, a small mixer console, and a fabricated transmitter.
Kyeza admitted ownership of the station and identified an individual known as “Smile” as the technician who installed the system.
During the operation, two locals attempting to record videos and take photos without permission were intercepted by security personnel and compelled to delete the footage.
The enforcement team later proceeded to Mpigi District, targeting another suspected illegal broadcaster in Membe–Makuku Village. However, the alleged operator, known as Kalismart, was not found. Efforts to access the premises where the equipment was believed to be stored were unsuccessful after attempts to break into the locked room failed.
Earlier, the team had visited Gomba FM, a licensed station owned by Kinoni Greater Kisozi Uganda Limited under Pastor Barry Mpeirwe. Licensed broadcasters have reportedly raised concerns over interference from illegal stations like Malele Community Radio.
Attempts to locate another suspected illegal broadcaster, Lion FM, in Mpigi District were also unsuccessful after the team found only a lounge at the suspected site and received no useful information from workers present.
Investigators suspect that some illegal operators are tipped off ahead of enforcement raids, enabling them to switch off transmitters and evade detection.
UCC says the ongoing operation targets unlicensed stations, illegal transmitters—particularly in urban buildings and community public address systems commonly known as “bizindaalo,” which are blamed for noise pollution.
Illegal radio stations, which operate without frequency allocation or regulatory approval, are said to interfere with licensed broadcasters and critical communication services, including aviation and security networks.
The crackdown, conducted in collaboration with the Uganda Police Force and the Uganda People’s Defense Forces (UPDF), is part of broader efforts to regulate the broadcasting sector and protect the country’s radio frequency spectrum. Authorities cite violations of the Uganda Communications Act 2013, which prohibits operating broadcasting equipment without a license.
The operation is expected to continue through the week as UCC moves to dismantle illegal communication infrastructure and enforce compliance across the country. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
