KAMPALA, Uganda — A global coalition of human rights organizations is calling on President Yoweri Museveni to ensure unrestricted internet access as the country prepares for presidential elections on Thursday.
The KeepItOn coalition, a network of more than 345 organizations, sent an open letter to Museveni and high-ranking telecommunications officials Monday expressing alarm over potential digital disruptions and an escalating crackdown on opposition voices.
The appeal comes as the Uganda Communications Commission reportedly threatened users of Virtual Private Networks and directed Starlink to disable its services in the country just weeks before the vote.
Governments around the world deploy internet shutdowns to interfere with election outcomes and undermine democratic participation, the coalition said in its letter. This practice harms human rights, and we cannot allow it to become normalized.
Uganda has a history of restricting digital communications during sensitive political periods. During the 2021 general elections, the government imposed a four-day internet blackout and blocked platforms such as Facebook, WhatsApp and Instagram. While most services were eventually restored, Facebook remains blocked in the country today.
The coalition also noted reports of arbitrary arrests, torture and the harassment of journalists. In October, reporters from NTV Uganda and The Daily Monitor had their credentials revoked following critical coverage of government proceedings.
Access to the free flow of information is a lifeline that must be protected to allow scrutiny of the entire process, the group said. Journalists, human rights defenders and election observers rely on digital platforms to monitor and report on election processes.
The Electoral Commission has previously suggested that the uncontrollable nature of election misinformation might leave authorities with no choice but to shut down the internet. However, the coalition argued that shutdowns create information vacuums that actually fuel the spread of hateful speech and disinformation.
The letter was carbon-copied to leaders at the Uganda Communications Commission and major service providers, including MTN Uganda and Airtel Uganda. The coalition urged these companies to resist government shutdown orders, citing United Nations guiding principles on business and human rights.
Under international law and the Ugandan Constitution, the rights to freedom of expression and access to information are protected both online and offline. The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has also called on member states to ensure secure internet access throughout electoral cycles to maintain transparency.
The KeepItOn coalition requested that Museveni publicly assure citizens that social media and digital platforms will remain open. The group also called for telecommunications companies to notify the public of any technical disruptions that may occur during the polling period.
