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Uganda is facing a growing cybercrime threat as criminals increasingly target people’s phones, online accounts and digital transactions instead of physical cash.

Reported cybercrime cases increased from 245 in 2023 to 474 in 2024, representing a rise of more than 93 percent, before slightly falling to 412 cases in 2025.

Bank of Uganda Governor Michael Atingi-Ego has warned that the growing threat could damage public trust in digital financial services and eventually affect the country’s financial stability.

He said Uganda’s rapid shift to mobile money, online banking, internet-based commerce and digital government services has created new opportunities for criminals to steal money and information.

Atingi-Ego said criminals no longer need to break into people’s homes or physically steal cash because much of the money Ugandans use is now stored and moved digitally.

He warned that criminals can compromise people’s phones, online accounts and other digital systems to access their money.

The Governor said the fight against cybercrime can no longer be left to individual institutions, urging banks, telecommunications companies, payment platforms, regulators and government agencies to work together.

He said the country’s financial and communication systems are interconnected, meaning that a security weakness in one institution can potentially expose other institutions.

A national assessment by NITA-U found that about four in every 10 small and medium enterprises in Uganda have already experienced some form of cyberattack.

Atingi-Ego described cybersecurity as more than just a technical issue, saying it has now become a macroeconomic and financial stability concern.

He urged financial institutions and other players in the digital economy to strengthen their security systems and share information about emerging cyber threats.

Telecom companies are also increasing their efforts to stop fraud. Airtel, for example, has invested in technology using big-data analytics and artificial intelligence to identify patterns in scam messages and help block spam SMS campaigns.

The Governor’s warning comes as Uganda’s digital population continues to grow, with about 23 million Ugandans now online.

While the expansion of digital services has created opportunities for businesses and consumers, Atingi-Ego said it must be matched with stronger protection against cyberattacks.

He stressed that cybersecurity is a shared responsibility, warning that protecting one institution alone is not enough when financial and communication systems are closely connected.

Medical interns who fail to report to their assigned duty stations by Saturday, August 15, 2026, risk losing their internship placements, Health Minister Chris Baryomunsi has warned.

Baryomunsi issued the warning in Parliament on Wednesday, August 12, after Opposition Leader Joel Ssenyonyi raised concerns over the ongoing dispute between government and medical interns.

Ssenyonyi told Parliament that doctors and medical interns across the country could go on strike if government fails to resolve the issue of their facilitation.

He said he had received a letter from the President of the Uganda Medical Association warning stakeholders of a planned industrial action if the government does not address the concerns within 14 days.

The dispute follows government’s decision to scrap the Shs1 million payment previously provided to each medical student undertaking internship.

Baryomunsi said government is still consulting on the policy but insisted that interns should report to their assigned hospitals while the discussions continue.

He said interns who fail to report will be considered to have forfeited their placements.

The Minister said government has already held discussions with the interns and urged them not to be misled into refusing their deployments.

He also appealed for more time to allow consultations to be completed, assuring Parliament that government is committed to finding a solution.

“We appreciate the work that they do,” Baryomunsi said, urging the interns to avoid confrontational methods of resolving the dispute.

Deputy Speaker Thomas Tayebwa urged the Minister to speed up the consultations and give Parliament a clear position on the matter.

Tayebwa asked Baryomunsi to take the issue to Cabinet on Monday and return to Parliament with a final position on Tuesday.

Under Uganda’s medical education and internship policy, medical students must complete a mandatory supervised clinical internship before they can receive their university degrees.