The Ugandan Communications Commission (UCC) has suspended 11 radio stations for violating licensing regulations less than one year after the regulator shut down six unlicensed radio stations in August 2023.
Operating a radio station without a licence in Uganda is illegal, and carries a maximum fine of 25 currency points (500,000 Ugandan shillings/$134) and up to one year of imprisonment, according to the country’s Communication Act, 2013. The relatively lenient fine may have incentivised some stations to operate without a licence.
The stations, including Green Radio and Miracle FM, were caught operating non-standard equipment and broadcasting outside their authorised frequencies, the regulator said on Tuesday.
Some radio stations also did not obtain the necessary compliance certificates or pay licence fees. The UCC also named instances of overmodulation, where frequencies are distorted and interfere with other radio frequencies.
“Illegal radio stations are radio stations that operate illegally. They were never granted any frequency assignment or approved to operate. They self-assigned the frequencies, and their actions greatly interfere with other duly licences operators,” the UCC said in a statement.
The spread of illegal radio stations in Uganda has raised concerns in the East African country, as some Ugandans have reported interference with their car ignition systems. The UCC has identified these stations as a security risk due to their potential to disrupt critical infrastructure, such as aviation services.
“The UCC has commenced enforcement activities, which will include shutting them down, confiscating the illegally operated equipment from the illegal stations and prosecuting the offenders,” the commission added.
