The Ugandan government has disrupted internet access across the country as it prepares for Thursday’s presidential election.
Internet monitoring group NetBlocks reported a nationwide connectivity shutdown beginning Tuesday evening.
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) defended the move, saying it was “to mitigate the rapid spread of misinformation.” The blackout started at 18:00 local time, though authorities have not specified when service will resume.
Voice calls and basic SMS messaging are expected to continue despite the disruption.
NetBlocks warned that the measure could reduce transparency and heighten the risk of vote manipulation.
Thursday’s election is a rematch of the 2021 contest between President Yoweri Museveni, 81, and former pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, 43, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi. Museveni, seeking a seventh term, has held power for 40 years, making him one of Africa’s longest-serving leaders. Although six other candidates are running, Museveni and Wine remain the frontrunners.
In the lead-up to the election, Ugandan security forces have detained hundreds of opposition supporters and repeatedly fired live ammunition and tear gas at pro-Wine rallies.
Authorities have also suspended several non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and journalism institutions, citing “threats to national security.” Among those affected are the African Centre for Media Excellence, Agora Centre for Research, National Coalition of Human Rights Defenders, Alliance for Finance Monitoring, Centre for Constitutional Governance, Human Rights Network for Journalists, Uganda National NGO Forum, Network of Public Interest Lawyers, and the African Centre for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture Victims.
Observers note the clampdown mirrors patterns seen during Tanzania’s October elections, when internet restrictions and curfews followed violent protests over the poll results.
The United Nations Human Rights Office criticised the Ugandan government for fostering an environment of “widespread repression and intimidation” ahead of the vote.
Meanwhile, former Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan arrived in Uganda over the weekend, leading a team of election observers from the African Union (AU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
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