Questions Mount After Vice President Intervenes in Nkya Cancelled UETCL Fibre Tender
Fresh documents obtained by Deep State reveal that Uganda’s cancelled multibillion-shilling plan to commercialize the Uganda Electricity Transmission Company Limited (UETCL) fibre optic network did not end with the termination of the procurement process.
Instead, the matter appears to have escalated to the highest levels of government, with Vice President Jessica Alupo convening a meeting involving the Attorney General and the Ministry of Energy after complaints from one of the bidders.
UETCL Pulled the Plug
A letter dated July 6, 2026, signed by UETCL Chief Executive Officer Eng. Richard Matsiko, formally notified Skynet Telecom LLC of Kyrgyzstan that the procurement process for a commercialization partner had been cancelled.
According to the letter, UETCL invoked the PPDA Act and the bidding documents, stating that the procurement had been cancelled due to a “significant change in the circumstances of the procurement.”
No further explanation was provided.
The cancellation effectively ended the procurement for a private company to commercialize UETCL’s national fibre optic business.
Bidder Takes Complaint to the Vice President
Just weeks later, the dispute reached the Office of the Vice President.
In a letter dated July 29, 2026, Vice President Maj. (Rtd) Jessica Alupo disclosed that she had earlier met representatives of Skynet Telecom LLC, namely Dastan Dogoev and Tayebwa Emmanuel, who, according to the letter, had been introduced to her by Shadrack Nzaire.
The representatives reportedly informed the Vice President that Skynet Telecom had participated in the bidding process before the procurement was cancelled under circumstances that “were not well explained” to the company.
Following that meeting, the Vice President invited the Attorney General, the Minister of Energy and Mineral Development, and the Minister of State for Energy to a meeting scheduled for August 4, 2026, to discuss the matter.
The Solicitor General and the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Energy were also copied on the invitation.
Fresh Questions
The documents raise several unanswered questions:
- Why did the Office of the Vice President intervene after UETCL had already cancelled the procurement?
- What information had been presented to the Vice President that warranted the involvement of the Attorney General and the Ministry of Energy?
- Would the cancelled procurement be reconsidered, or was the meeting intended only to establish why the process had been terminated?
The documents do not provide answers.
Comes Amid Wider Scrutiny
The latest correspondence emerges against the backdrop of broader scrutiny surrounding attempts to commercialize UETCL’s fibre network.
Earlier investigations by Deep State revealed that technical evaluators had raised concerns over proposals seeking long-term control of UETCL’s fibre infrastructure, warning of governance, competition, and national security risks.
Those concerns eventually culminated in the cancellation of the procurement process. The newly obtained correspondence now suggests that, despite the cancellation, interested bidders continued pursuing the matter through senior government offices.
Awaiting Government Position
It remains unclear what resolutions, if any, emerged from the meeting convened by the Vice President.
Deep State has reached out to the Office of the Vice President, UETCL, and the Ministry of Energy for comment and will update this story once responses are received.
