Update: On January 18, 2026, the Ugandan Communication Commission (UCC) ordered internet service providers to partially restore connectivity after five days of nationwide blackout during elections. However, major digital communication platforms including WhatsApp, Instagram, X and Facebook as well as mobile money services remain blocked i n the country. The UCC Director has also warned that people who bypass these restrictions using VPNs could be targeted via their devices for alleged misuse.
Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition urge the Ugandan authorities to uphold their human rights obligations by immediately restoring full and unrestricted access and refrain from imposing such restrictions in the future.
Update: On January 13, 2026, the Ugandan Communications Commission ordered all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) and Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in the country to suspend essential services including public internet access, sale and registration of new Simcard as well as outbound data roaming services. The shutdown comes two days before elections on January 15, 2026.
“Despite calls by human rights groups and the international community — including the United Nations — to uphold democracy and resist shutting down the internet, authorities in Uganda refuse to listen,” said Felicia Anthonio, #KeepItOn, Global Campaign Manager at Access Now. “Instead, they’ve decided to violate the rights of millions of people in Uganda by cutting them off from the rest of the world, a few days before elections. Shutting down the internet cannot become the norm when authorities want to exert their control and influence — such acts undermine democracy and disregard human rights. Uganda must restore access now and #KeepItOn.”
Data from Cloudflare Radar and IODA confirms a near complete internet shutdown, with traffic dropping 95% across the country.
Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition demand that the Ugandan authorities immediately lift the ban on the internet and all communications in the country to facilitate transparent, free and fair elections. As millions of people prepare to head to the polls in Uganda on January 15, 2026, Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition — a global network of over 345 organizations from 106 countries working to end internet shutdowns, has urged President Yoweri Museveni to ensure unfettered access to the internet, digital platforms, and all other communication channels on the run-up-to, during, and post-elections.
Despite an earlier commitment from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to not shut down the internet, that has now been contradicted by statements made by the Electoral Commission, authorities in Uganda have a history of shutting down the internet, and blocking social media and communication platforms during elections. The UCC has also directed Starlink to disable its services in the country just weeks before the elections, which raises serious concerns about the state’s approach to connectivity during politically sensitive periods.
The authorities in Uganda have a disturbing pattern of predictable behaviour when it comes to imposing internet shutdowns and blocking social media platforms, especially during election periods, and we are deeply concerned January’s elections will be no different. President Yoweri Museveni must respect human rights, and the democratic process by publicly assuring the people in Uganda that there will be no internet shutdowns throughout the upcoming elections — Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition will be watching.Felicia Anthonio, #KeepItOn Global Campaign Manager at Access Now
During the 2016 elections, the UCC ordered a shutdown of social media and mobile money services. In 2021, the government of Uganda imposed a four-day internet blackout, disrupted access to digital communication platforms including Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Playstore Apps, as well as blocked access to more than 100 VPNs. Facebook has been banned in Uganda since the 2021 elections.
Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition are also deeply alarmed by reports of an escalating crackdown on opposition voices and the media ahead of this month’s elections.
Internet shutdowns have become a tool of affront against democracy. During pivotal times such as elections, it is fundamental to retain access to the internet and to not undermine citizens’ ability to access information, report irregularities, and participate meaningfully in democratic processes. Uganda’s authorities must break from this harmful legacy and publicly guarantee that the internet will remain open before, during, and after the January 2026 elections. The credibility of the electoral process, and the rights of Ugandans, depend on it.Edrine Wanyama, Programme Manager-Legal from the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa
Access Now and the #KeepItOn coalition welcomes the timely statement by Commissioners of the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR) raising concerns about the escalating restrictions on freedom of expression, media freedom, and internet access ahead of the general elections in Uganda. In December 2025, we wrote to the ACHPR Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information, Commissioner Topsy-Sonoo, to urge the Ugandan government to ensure unfettered access to the internet and uphold human rights throughout the elections. The Commissioner’s office acknowledged receipt of our open letter and confirmed an appeal has been sent to the Ugandan government.
Read the open letter to President Yoweri Museveni and to Commissioner Topsy-Sonoo.