Ugandan authorities partially restored internet access on Saturday night after a multi-day shutdown that disrupted banking, trade, transport, and other online-dependent services. Internet users reported gradual reconnection around 11 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), though access to social media platforms remained blocked.
The partial restoration followed a directive from the Uganda Communications Commission, the national telecom regulator. Telecom operators framed the move as an economic necessity. “We have restored internet so that businesses that rely on internet can resume work,” said David Birungi, spokesperson for Airtel Uganda, adding that the order excluded social media platforms.
The restoration came hours after President Yoweri Museveni, 81, was declared the winner of a presidential election that extends his rule into a fifth decade. Opposition figures, including Bobi Wine, rejected the outcome, describing it as fraudulent and raising concerns over military raids and detentions during the vote-counting period.
Wine recounted a harrowing night at his home in Magere, where he narrowly escaped a raid by military and police forces. Some of his family members, he said, remain under house arrest. The opposition leader linked the confusion surrounding his whereabouts to the nationwide internet shutdown, saying the blackout prevented accurate reporting of events.
Throughout the shutdown, businesses and individuals complained of stalled transactions and missed opportunities, particularly in urban centres where mobile internet underpins commerce. Financial services, logistics firms, and online traders were among the most affected.
The Uganda Communications Commission defended the blackout as a security measure, claiming it aimed to prevent “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks.” Critics argued the restrictions limited transparency and were intended to control the narrative around the election results.
While the partial internet restoration eased some economic pressure, uncertainty remains over when full access, including social media, will be reinstated.
SAHARAREPORTERS