Uganda orders nationwide internet blackout and mobile restrictions before election

Uganda suspended public internet access nationwide and curtailed selected mobile services at 18:00 local time on Jan. 13, 48 hours before the Jan. 15 presidential election, ordering mobile network operators and internet service providers to cut public connectivity and restrict specified services. The directive from the Uganda Communications Commission said it followed a strong recommendation from the Inter-Agency Security Committee and aimed to curb misinformation, electoral fraud and content that could incite violence.

The order instructed licensed operators to suspend access to social media platforms, general web browsing, personal email and messaging applications and the sale and registration of new SIM cards. It also reportedly constrained outbound data roaming within the East African One Network Area, limiting cross-border mobile connectivity for some users. Internet monitor NetBlocks confirmed a nation-scale disruption to internet connectivity. Authorities allowed tightly controlled, limited access for certain critical systems, including healthcare networks, banking infrastructure, government administrative systems, immigration platforms and voter verification tools, but access to those networks was restricted to authorized personnel through private channels.

The shutdown marked a reversal of public assurances earlier in January, when officials had denied plans to restrict internet access ahead of the vote. The UCC did not publish the full text of the directive in the material circulated publicly, and the precise technical scope of the disruption was not exhaustively enumerated. Observers noted that fixed-line and private connections for critical services appeared to be handled separately from the public outage, but the total impact on businesses and households remained significant.

The blackout unfolded amid a tense political and security environment. President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has ruled since 1986 and is seeking a seventh term, faces a campaign backdrop in which security forces detained hundreds of opposition supporters. Campaign events for leading challenger Bobi Wine drew confrontations in which authorities used live ammunition and tear gas, while prominent opposition figure Kizza Besigye remained jailed on treason charges. The United Nations Human Rights Office criticized the environment as one of widespread repression and intimidation, and analysts assessing the contest said state control of institutions has substantially advantaged the incumbent.

The decision has immediate market and governance implications. Interruptions to social media and messaging complicate information flows during voting and can hinder independent observation, press reporting and rapid reporting of irregularities. Economically, disruptions to connectivity and mobile services threaten mobile money transactions, e-commerce and cross-border trade in a region increasingly reliant on digital payments and communications. Even with critical banking systems reportedly exempted, constraints on public internet access and SIM registration can slow commerce, complicate remittances and increase operational risk for financial firms and telecoms.

Policy analysts warn the move reinforces a longer trend of pre-election internet restrictions across several countries, potentially accelerating digital fragmentation and prompting firms to build redundancy into operations. Rights groups say any erosion of transparency risks undermining public confidence in electoral outcomes and may deter foreign investment if perceived as part of a broader pattern of repression. With the vote days away, the balance between stated security objectives and the costs to civic freedoms and economic activity remains the central controversy as Uganda moves into a highly contested election period.