Uganda Partially Restores Internet After Museveni Secures 7th Term
Ugandan authorities largely restored internet access late Saturday after 81-year-old President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term, extending his power into a fifth decade, in a landslide win that the opposition disputed.
Users reported being able to rejoin the internet at 11 p.m. local time (2000 GMT) on Saturday.
However, some internet service providers notified consumers that the regulator had ordered them to restore services other than social media.
“We have restored internet so that businesses that rely on the internet can resume work,” David Birungi, spokesperson for Airtel Uganda, one of the country’s biggest telecom companies, told Reuters.
He stated that the state communications authority has ordered that social media remain offline.
The state-run Uganda Communications Commission announced that the internet has been turned off to combat “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud, and related risks.”
PUBLIC UPDATE: Today, 18th January 2026, we hosted a press briefing to update the country.
— UCC (@UCC_Official) January 18, 2026
Following the conclusion of the 2026 General Elections and a comprehensive security assessment, the Commission has directed the restoration of public internet access across Uganda,… https://t.co/lnFu8N5sGn pic.twitter.com/oZbn5rqLIP
However, the opposition criticized the decision, claiming that it was intended to solidify control over the voting process and ensure the incumbent’s victory.
UCC spokesperson Ibrahim Bbosa did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
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On Saturday, the East African country’s electoral board proclaimed Museveni the winner of Thursday’s poll with 71.6% of the vote, while his rival, pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, received 24%.
A joint report from an election monitoring team from the African Union and other regional blocs criticized the military’s role in the election as well as the authorities’ decision to turn off the internet.
“The internet shutdown implemented two days before the elections limited access to information, freedom of association, curtailed economic activities… it also created suspicion and mistrust on the electoral process,” the team said in their report published on Saturday.
ℹ️ Update: Network data show a partial restoration of internet connectivity in #Uganda, though many users remain offline. Service was cut on the 13th and elections were held with the opposition detained, some voting machines disconnected, and ballots stuffed per reports. pic.twitter.com/RZUZFDGHp1
— NetBlocks (@netblocks) January 18, 2026
In power since 1986 and currently Africa’s third-longest-ruling head of state, Museveni’s latest win means he will have been in power for nearly half a century when his new term ends in 2031.
Uganda Partially Restores Internet After Museveni Secures 7th Term
