By Ayomide Otitoju
Uganda has lifted a nationwide internet shutdown but will continue to restrict social media platforms, authorities announced Sunday, hours after longtime President Yoweri Museveni was declared the winner of national elections.
The internet had been blocked two days before Thursday’s polls, with the government citing the need to curb “misinformation,” a move the United Nations described as “deeply worrying.”
While much of the country remained calm following the vote, AFP journalists reported small-scale protests late Saturday in parts of the capital, Kampala, with tear gas reportedly used. By Sunday morning, security presence had eased, and shops and streets in Kampala were open.
“Social media platforms… remain temporarily restricted to continue safeguarding against misuse that could threaten public order,” George Nyombi Thembo, executive director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), said.
Thembo confirmed that most of the internet had been restored and defended the suspension as “necessary and proportionate” to prevent the spread of misinformation, curb potential electoral fraud, and guard against incitement to violence during a sensitive national period. He did not specify when full access would resume.
“We are a reasonable agency. We are a reasonable government. We don’t expect this to exceed a reasonable time that will mitigate the risk that we are seeing,” Thembo added.
The election was marked by low voter turnout and heavy security deployments, as authorities sought to prevent unrest similar to protests in neighboring Tanzania during last October’s polls. Analysts have long viewed Uganda’s elections as largely ceremonial, with Museveni exerting near-total control over the state and security apparatus.
