Airtel Uganda is under fire after multiple customers came forward with complaints that their mobile money accounts were compromised under suspicious circumstances. The latest accusation was shared by social media activist John Spire Kiggundu, who expressed shock over how easily his brother’s funds were stolen despite having no saved passwords or personal details on his stolen phone.
“At the funeral, my other brother’s phone was stolen. He hadn’t saved his password or NIN anywhere on the phone. The following day, all his mobile money was withdrawn and the thief even took a loan, which he is now required to pay to @Airtel\_Ug with accumulating interest,” Spire posted on social media.
“There is no way his details could have been accessed without an insider in @Airtel\_Ug, or else @Airtel\_Ug is that easy to hack and therefore not safe. Demands for refund met indifferent ears of @Airtel\_Ug, only insisting: Report to Bugoloobi. How safe is customers’ money! Why isn’t @Airtel\_Ug bothered! And this is not an isolated case!”
The incident sparked widespread concern and drew similar testimonies from other Ugandans, many of whom echoed Spire’s fears about insider leaks and poor data protection.
One customer commented:
“This is true, whenever I receive or deposit money on Airtel above 1 million UGX, then scammers start calling me with proposals. Airtel has insiders that leak information out! It’s not safe anymore. Be careful.”
Another user, known as Dan Magic, Bobi Wine’s music producer also recounted a similar ordeal:
“I faced a similar situation during the Kalangala arrests on our return—money on both my lines was withdrawn, and to make matters worse, those crooks went ahead and borrowed money using my accounts. I was left with no option but to pay for the losses myself, simply because I desperately wanted my lines back. Despite making several calls and follow-ups with both @Airtel\_Ug and @mtnug service centers, nothing was resolved. It’s the same frustrating story with both networks—shameful and unacceptable.”
Another commenter questioned the recurring pattern:
“Naye mmwe aa @Airtel\_Ug, how comes whenever someone’s phone is stolen, there’s a consistent pattern of having one’s mobile money withdrawn from their account and further get a loan on that person’s account? Do you share customers’ PINs with robbers? You must be colluding!”
In response to the mounting criticism, Airtel Uganda issued an apology and stated:
“We are deeply sorry to hear about what happened, especially during such a difficult time for your family. This is not the experience we want for any of our customers. Please be assured that we take issues of fraud, data privacy, and account security very seriously.”
But Spire Kiggundu remained defiant and demanded that Airtel refund the stolen money and take action to protect customer funds:
“Dear @Airtel\_Ug, please refund that money and make commitments to fix your mobile money system. Otherwise, we haven’t started yet. The only option we will have left is to ensure that you feel the pain of losing money too, much more money. I’m sure all other victims will be happy to join the sustained campaign when it starts.”
The situation has highlighted growing unease over mobile money security in Uganda, with many customers now questioning whether their personal data and finances are adequately protected.
