KAMPALA, Jan 18 Internet access began returning to parts of Uganda late Saturday night, hours after President Yoweri Museveni, 81, was declared the winner of another presidential election, extending his decades-long hold on power.
After days of disruption during the vote, many Ugandans reported getting back online around 11 p.m. The government instructed several internet providers to restore service, but they still blocked access to social media platforms.
Museveni’s latest victory, his seventh term, paves the way for him to govern well into a fifth decade, a result the opposition has strongly disputed.
Internet services began to slowly return across Uganda after authorities lifted parts of a nationwide shutdown imposed around the country’s presidential election. Telecom users said connections started coming back late Saturday night, allowing businesses and individuals to get back online, though access to social media platforms remained blocked.
Airtel Uganda, one of the country’s largest mobile operators, said the government had instructed companies to restore internet access so economic activity could resume. The decision followed the announcement that President Yoweri Museveni, 81, had won another term in office, extending his rule, which began in 1986, well into a fifth decade.
Uganda’s communications regulator introduced the shutdown to prevent the spread of false information, electoral manipulation, and related security risks during the vote. Opposition leaders vehemently disagreed, contending that the blackout aimed to regulate information flow and sway the election outcome.
The electoral commission declared Museveni the winner with more than 71% of the vote, while his main challenger, opposition figure and former pop star Bobi Wine, received about 24%. Wine rejected the results, alleging widespread fraud, a claim that the government has denied.
Election observers from the African Union and other regional organisations criticised the role of the military during the election period, saying the internet shutdown restricted access to information, disrupted businesses, and fuelled public mistrust in the voting process.
Tensions spilt onto the streets in parts of Kampala after the results were announced. Police responded with tear gas and made arrests as small groups of protesters blocked roads and set fires. Authorities said calm was later restored.
Museveni’s latest victory means he could remain in power until 2031. Analysts say questions about political succession persist, with growing attention on his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, a senior military figure who has publicly expressed presidential ambitions.
