Uganda Government Restores Internet Access

The Ugandan government has reportedly restored internet access after it shut it down ahead of the just concluded national election.

This was revealed in a tweet by NetBlocks, an internet freedom monitor, which disclosed that 13% of the East African country is seemingly back online.

The Uganda Communications Commission had last week ordered telecommunications companies to immediately suspend any access and use of social media and online messaging platforms. Facebook and other social platforms were shutdowns before finally the entire country was disconnected.

Netblocks also added that such a blackout could have already cost the Ugandan economy around $9 million.

READ MORE: Uganda Election: Museveni Emerges Winner

According to CNN, Yoweri Museveni has been re-elected for a sixth term, despite “widespread allegations of fraud and intimidation”.

Reports suggest that Museveni’s rule has been challenged over the years through protests and potential rivals. Recently, however, “a key tactic in curtailing opposition has been to control Ugandans’ access to the internet“.

“After a brutal, months-long crackdown on the media, Uganda’s internet disruption is the latest attempt to keep the country’s citizens in the dark … and to prevent journalists from reporting on events surrounding the vote,” Muthoki Mumo, a regional representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement.

“Ugandan authorities should reverse course and take steps to ensure unrestricted internet access and guarantee that the public is adequately informed during the post-election period.”