Can Mangu Cash contact my friends or family?

YES. This is the most well-documented aspect of Mangu Cash's operations. They DO contact your friends and family. Aggressively.

Real Examples from News Reports

Example 1: The Deputy Speaker of Parliament

Thomas Tayebwa received a threatening call from a Mangu Cash agent demanding payment for a loan taken by a stranger. The stranger had listed Tayebwa as "next of kin" without his knowledge or consent. The agent threatened "financial action" if Tayebwa did not produce the borrower .

Example 2: A Businessman in Bweyogerere

Geoffrey Lwabuga Muwulya borrowed UGX 45,000 and was supposed to repay UGX 60,000 in seven days. When he missed a payment, Mangu Cash "started calling people in his phone book asking them to pay on his behalf. They called and threatened my mother and my siblings that I should pay the loan" .

Example 3: Anonymous Victim

Another victim reported that he received calls asking him to pay a loan debt for his cousin. "I was surprised where they got my contact yet the person never gave it to them" .

How Mangu Cash Gets Your Friends' Information

Method 1: Direct permission (the "next of kin" request)

When you apply, the app asks you to list contacts as "next of kin" or guarantors. You might think these contacts will only be contacted as a last resort. In practice, they are contacted immediately, even if you are not late .

Method 2: Harvesting your entire contact list

When you grant contacts access, the app copies your entire address book. They do not need you to specify who is important — they know. They can see who you call most frequently, who you text, and who your family members are .

Method 3: Accessing your call logs

The app can also see your call history. This tells them who your closest contacts are, even if those numbers are not saved in your contacts .

What Ugandan Law Says About This

Under the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019, collecting and using personal data in this way — without consent of the individuals being contacted — may violate the law. The act requires that data collectors inform individuals about what data is being collected and for what purpose .

When Mangu Cash calls your mother, has she ever given them permission to call her? Has she ever agreed to have her phone number stored in their database? Almost certainly not.

How to Protect Yourself and Your Loved Ones

Step 1 (Prevention): Do not use Mangu Cash at all. This is the only way to guarantee your contacts will not be harassed.

Step 2 (If you have already borrowed): Check your phone permissions immediately. Revoke Contacts, SMS, and Phone access. But understand: they may already have copied your data.

Step 3 (If you have already borrowed): Warn your family and friends. Tell them: "I have taken a loan from a company called Mangu Cash. If they call you, do not give them any information. Do not pay anything. Do not engage. They are using intimidation tactics. Just hang up."

Step 4: Document all calls. Save voicemails. Screenshot messages. Write down the caller's number, name (if provided), date, and time.

Step 5: Report harassment to:

• The Police (especially if threats are made)
• The Bank of Uganda
• Uganda Communications Commission (UCC)

Step 6: Do not pay under threat. Paying under duress encourages more threats.

The Bottom Line

Do not trust any lender that requires access to your contacts. Do not trust any lender that makes you list "next of kin." Do not trust any lender that accesses your call logs.

These permissions are not for "verification." They are for intimidation.

The Deputy Speaker of Parliament was threatened by Mangu Cash . Your mother will not be treated better.

The Bank of Uganda is investigating them . The government has called their actions "illegal" . But until the investigation concludes, and until stronger regulations are in place, apps like Mangu Cash continue to operate.

Your best protection is not to use them at all.