Kole | Excitement is high through Kole North in Kole district, as more than 4,000 residents across 40 villages celebrate a major improvement in MTN services following the installation of three new masts (boosters) by MTN Uganda Limited.
The new infrastructure has significantly enhanced network connectivity across the area. Member of Parliament Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti first raised the concerns over poor network services to MTN, years ago and has since been persistently following up to ensure that all affected areas were considered.
On Thursday, June 18, 2026, residents of Kole heaped praise on MP Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti for his exceptional lobbying skills and unwavering dedication to serving the community.
Richard Odyeng Tom, a resident of Awili village in Lwala parish, Okwerodot sub-county, who sacrificed his own land to allow the installation of the masts, revealed that network challenges had previously posed serious difficulties.
“More especially when we needed intervention from security personnel and healthcare matters, the lack of network connection made it impossible to access help,” he said.
Tom Olet, the LC3 chairperson of Alito sub-county, confirmed that before Opio Acuti intervened to improve network installation, the situation was dire. “Many local community members broke their legs while running to find a spot with better reception, and some people climbed trees to access a stronger network signal,” he recalled.
“But as a leader in local government, I thank our MP for bringing this development to our community.”
Moses Obak, the LC1 chairperson of Awili village in Lwala parish, said that in the past, reporting any kind of emergency to the authorities was extremely difficult due to the lack of network coverage.
“But since our mast installation was completed two years ago, my people now have the opportunity to report urgent matters whenever needed, whether at night or during the day,” he explained.
Anna Ocilo, a resident of Akabede “A” village in Aboke town council, shared her painful personal experience of how the poor network affected her.
“I lost my child as a result of poor network connection. The boda boda rider I called at night to help me go to the hospital had his phone off because we did not have a stable network,” she narrated. “But at the moment, I am using a smartphone so I can access timely information.”
Janety Awor, a restaurant operator at Anekapiri market in Kwaro “A” Alito town council, said before Opio Acuti came into leadership, there was only one MTN booster in Alito, making communication very difficult.
“Due to that, we lost many pregnant women, while others were delivered on the way to the hospital. This happened because it was very hard to get network coverage. But these days, everyone has a phone, and accessing security personnel and healthcare matters is no longer a challenge for us,” she said.
Nelson Tile, a businessman at Alito in Anekapiti, also explained the challenges he faced in his business due to network issues before Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti lobbied for the booster installation.
“But at the moment, my business is now improving every day because of the MTN network services connection,” he said. He added that many people are now engaging in business activities because of the strong and reliable network connectivity.
Residents of Okwerodot, Alito, and Aboke sub-counties, where the boosters have been installed, expressed their profound gratitude to Dr. Samuel Opio Acuti.
Meanwhile, the MP reminded them that on September 17, 2019, over 4,000 residents had signed a petition over poor MTN mobile phone network services in 40 villages, calling for the extension of MTN’s Corporate Social Responsibility on health matters in Kole district.
As the lead petitioner, he noted that on October 18, 2019, at around 2:00 am, MTN Uganda Limited acknowledged that their team had been duly informed about the fault.
MP Acuti cited the key concerns raised in the petition, which included that despite MTN’s network coverage in Kole district with 3G+ (21.6mbs), 39 villages in Alito, Okwerodot, and Aboke sub-counties continued to experience poor mobile network services, with either no network, poor network, or unstable connectivity.
Other concerns included that despite the availability of numerous mobile money shops, residents were repeatedly inconvenienced by network disruptions, which grossly affected their access to financial services. The disruptions also negatively impacted communication, business, and financial transactions.
In the petition, the people of Kole North called upon MTN to intervene and send a team on the ground to come up with a permanent solution to the network challenges in the affected areas.
Additionally, they requested that the Access to Health Initiative be extended to health centres in Alito, Okwerodot, and Aboke sub-counties, which lacked sufficient infrastructure for the management of various health ailments.
Sandra Ataro, a youth councillor at Aboke town ouncil, said network challenges were a major problem in their area, which caused the death of her sister years ago.
“Currently, among communities that are geographically isolated, the potential of mobile phone services towards agricultural growth of farming communities—of which Kole seeks to benefit—are now moving well,” she said.
She also noted that other achievements are emphasising the part played by mobile money services in promoting financial inclusion in the region.
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