The Ugandan government has defended its decision to shut down internet access ahead of the country’s general election, insisting the move was aimed at preventing violence and the spread of misinformation.
Ugandans go to the polls on Thursday in an election widely expected to return President Yoweri Museveni to power for a seventh term, following nearly four decades in office.
Despite earlier assurances that internet services would remain uninterrupted, authorities cut off access on Tuesday, heightening concerns among opposition figures and rights groups over possible repression and manipulation during the vote.
A senior presidential adviser, Hajat Hadijah Namyalo Uzeiye, defended the shutdown, arguing that unrestricted internet access could fuel unrest.
“The internet creates wars, riots and misinformation. That is why it was shut down,” she told AFP, adding that false information from various actors posed a serious security risk during the election period.
Uzeiye expressed confidence that Museveni would secure a decisive victory, predicting he would win “at least 70 per cent” of the vote.
She said the ruling National Resistance Movement believed the president’s continued leadership was necessary for the country.
“We are not ready for him to leave,” she said.
She also dismissed accusations by opposition leader Bobi Wine, political analysts and human rights organisations that Museveni governs as a military dictator who has violently suppressed dissent.
“I wouldn’t call it dictatorship,” Uzeiye said, accusing critics of misrepresenting the government without providing full context.”
“The internet shutdown has drawn criticism from the United Nations human rights office, which described the move, alongside a court decision earlier in the week to suspend the activities of 10 rights organisations, as “deeply worrying.”
The election comes amid heightened political tension and scrutiny from both domestic and international observers, with concerns over civil liberties, transparency and the conduct of security agencies on polling day.
