Uganda partially restores internet after shutdown

Internet access in Uganda has been partially restored following a days-long nationwide shutdown imposed during last week’s general election, according to independent network monitoring organization NetBlocks.

Although connectivity has improved since Sunday, significant portions of the population remain offline or face intermittent service, particularly on mobile networks which are the primary channel for most users.

The Uganda Communications Commission cut internet services on January 13, the eve of national polls in which the opposition alleged widespread irregularities.

With communications restricted and no live transmission of results, the shutdown drew criticism from rights groups who argued it obstructed transparency and undermined public confidence.

NetBlocks’ latest telemetry indicates that backbone connectivity has been restored at the international gateway level, but service to end-users remains constrained.

The group noted that messaging platforms and social networks continue to experience blocking or throttling, limiting real-time political discourse and reporting.

“Network data show a partial restoration of internet connectivity in #Uganda, though many users remain offline. Service was cut on the 13th, and elections were held with the opposition detained, some voting machines disconnected, and ballots stuffed per report,” NetBlocks said in a statement on X.

On Saturday, President Yoweri Museveni, 81, was declared the winner of Uganda’s January 15, 2026, presidential election, extending his remarkable hold on power to a seventh term.

Museveni’s victory underscored his continued dominance of Ugandan politics, a tenure that stretches back four decades and makes him one of Africa’s longest‑serving leaders. His new term will now run from 2026 to 2031.

The Electoral Commission announced results showed Museveni’s National Resistance Movement (NRM) comfortably ahead, with 7.9 million votes, equivalent to 71.6% of the total votes cast. His main challenger, Robert Kyagulanyi, popularly known as Bobi Wine, received 2.7 million votes.

Museveni first rose to national prominence as the leader of the National Resistance Army (NRA), a rebel movement that waged a five‑year guerrilla war against Milton Obote’s government and its successor.

In January 1986, Museveni seized power and effectively ended years of political violence in the East African nation. His initial years in office focused on stabilising the economy and ending protracted insurgencies, particularly in the north of the country.

Under the 1995 Constitution, Uganda established a framework for multiparty democracy and set presidential term and age limits. The constitution set a two‑term cap for presidents, with additional age thresholds requiring candidates to be at least 35 years old and no older than 75. Yet, political developments in subsequent years altered that framework significantly.