Thousands of MTN Uganda customers were left stranded on Sunday after a major network outage disrupted calls, internet access and Mobile Money services in several parts of the country.
The disruption started around midday and became more widespread from about 1 p.m.
Subscribers reported that they could not make or receive calls, use mobile data, or complete MTN Mobile Money transactions.
The outage affected communication, shopping, transport payments, bank-linked transactions and other services that depend on the telecom network.
MTN blames data centre power failure
After several hours of disruption, MTN Uganda acknowledged the outage and said a power failure at one of its data centres had affected some customers.
“Following a major power outage at one of our data centres earlier today, a segment of our customers experienced disruptions to voice, data and MoMo services. Service restoration is underway, and our technical teams are working to restore all affected services as quickly as possible. We sincerely apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your patience and understanding,” the company said in a statement.
The company said technical teams were working to restore all affected services.
Customers stranded as calls and MoMo fail
The outage left many customers unable to communicate with relatives, business partners and service providers.
In Soroti, MTN subscriber Martin Eswau said he could not reach his mother, who was travelling from Kampala.
“I expected her around 1 p.m., but it’s 3 p.m., and I can’t tell whether she’s still travelling or has arrived but can’t locate me,” Eswau said.
Mobile Money users also reported failed transactions.
Deborah Asiimwe, a resident of Kyebando, said she was unable to access money through an MTN-DFCU Bank transaction.
“I’m stuck. I can’t move now. I wanted to do some shopping for the week but now…” she said.
Businesses hit by payment delays
The disruption also affected businesses that rely on MTN Mobile Money payments.
Traders, transport operators and customers reported delays in processing payments.
Some bank customers also failed to complete transactions linked to MTN Mobile Money.
On social media, frustrated subscribers complained about the outage and demanded updates on when services would return.
Uganda has faced previous telecom disruptions
Uganda has experienced major telecommunications interruptions in recent years.
During the 2021 general election, internet and social media shutdowns disrupted communication, Mobile Money services and online businesses for several days.
In October 2023, subscribers on multiple telecom networks experienced intermittent service interruptions after damage to national fibre infrastructure affected internet and voice services in parts of the country.
Unlike those earlier incidents, MTN Uganda said Sunday’s outage was caused by a power failure at one of its data centres.