UN Issues Warning Over Uganda Internet Shutdown Ahead of Elections
"All Ugandans must be able to take part in shaping their future & the future of their country," the rights office said on US social media company X.
The agency emphasized that unrestricted communication and information access are essential components for "free & genuine elections."
The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) issued a Tuesday directive mandating a "temporary suspension" of public internet connectivity and select mobile network services throughout the electoral period.
Officials stated the blackout—which commenced at 6 p.m. local time (1500 GMT) Tuesday—was designed to "safeguard public safety, critical national functions, and the operational integrity of communications infrastructure."
The UCC confirmed through an X platform statement Wednesday that the Inter-Agency Security Committee recommended the shutdown, with the restriction applying universally to all licensed telecommunications providers.
"This measure was taken to mitigate the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, curb risks of electoral fraud, and prevent incitement to violence, all of which could undermine public order, national security and the integrity of the electoral process," it added.
The regulatory body also recognized the "inconvenience this temporary measure is likely to cause."
The East African nation conducts presidential and parliamentary voting Thursday in a consequential democratic test.
President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has maintained control since 1986, pursues his seventh consecutive term against seven opponents, including opposition figure Robert Kyagulanyi, widely recognized as Bobi Wine.
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