KAMPALA, Uganda — Cybersecurity experts are warning of a sharp rise in digital crime after data revealed that Uganda lost 72.1 billion shillings to cyber offenses in a single year.
The figures, cited from the 2024 Uganda Police Force Annual Crime Report, show that cybercrime surged by 93.5%, with cases jumping from 245 to 474. Despite the staggering financial impact, law enforcement secured only 21 convictions by year-end.
The data was highlighted Tuesday during a high-level engagement held by the National Information Technology Authority-Uganda and the Personal Data Protection Office. The session brought together more than 20 professional communicators as part of the Beera Ku Guard campaign, a nationwide effort to build a culture of digital safety and responsible data handling.
Jerome Okot, a cybersecurity expert at Milima Security, told participants that cyber threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated. He underscored the urgent need for communities and institutions to embrace more vigilant digital habits.
Gilbert Ssettuma, compliance and investigations officer at the PDPO, said the communication industry plays a critical role in reversing these trends. He noted that as the country becomes more connected, professionals must translate complex data protection concepts into clear messages that influence national behavior.
“The Data Protection and Privacy Act was put in place quite obviously to protect the privacy of the individual and their personal information, but also to regulate the collection and processing of personal information,” Ssettuma said.
The Beera Ku Guard campaign, which runs through 2026, aims to empower Ugandans with practical knowledge to stay safe in the digital world. The initiative expands on previous programs by focusing on both online behavior and offline data handling.
NITA-U and the PDPO said the engagement is part of a broader commitment to building a resilient digital Uganda capable of defending against the growing financial threat of cybercrime.
