Internet in Uganda is now finally accessible, and the shutdown has ended. The shutdown that had entered its fifth day was suspended just today before midday.

Social media access will however remain blocked. And one can only acquire such services if aided with Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

The internet was abruptly shut down on Wednesday night January 13^th with just hours to go to polling stations for last Thursday’s general elections.

That was shortly after Facebook had apparently suspended hundreds of pro-government Ugandan accounts.

President Yoweri Museveni, while commenting about Facebook’s drastic decision, said there was no way anyone would come to Uganda and decide what was good or bad for Ugandans.

Until yesterday, the Prime Minister of Uganda Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda could not commit to a date when the internet shutdown would finally be lifted. The only thing he was certain of was that the government was reviewing the security situation before restoring the internet.

Government offered no prior notice on the intended shutdown and it remained uncertain when the shutdown would be lifted, until at around midday.

Before the country was hit with a complete internet shutdown, there was an earlier attempt by government to block Google Play Store and Apple’s App store, and a ban on all social media platforms.

According to government, the rationale for a complete internet shutdown was to deter spread of misinformation and anticipated internal and external influences on Uganda’s electoral process, which is reasonably understandable.

Ugandans are however bitter with the government’s mode of execution. Citizens demand a clear explanation about the manner in which the internet shutdown was effected; they feel it leaves much to be desired on the question of accountability of government to the Ugandan people and the validity of government’s rationale for this shutdown.

‘Netizen’ Ugandans are bothered that if at all a complete internet shutdown was necessary and whether or not it was effected in a proper manner, the most important issue is that who will be held accountable for the adverse impact of this shutdown? People are counting losses!

Leading telecommunication Networks MTN Uganda and Airtel on their part justifiably stated that they suspended access to social media platforms for their customers in Uganda as a response to a directive issued by the government through the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

The internet shutdown has clearly affected businesses, professionals and people in employment in their day today work.

Ugandans are now angry that the government should not assume the good will of the people of Uganda without any sense of accountability economically, more so given the current state that the country is just recovering from the COVID-19 hard blow that left many businesses without life.

It should be noted that the government is already getting a backlash from within, after the Ministry of Health blaming the internet shut down for frustrating its efforts to update Ugandans about the number of infections, recoveries and deaths as a result of COVID-19.

Officials  from the Ministry contend that they last issued updates about COVID-19 on January 13^th  before the internet was shut down and ever since then Ugandans have been kept in the darkness about the efforts to fight the pandemic, which is likely to bring about disastrous  repercussions.

By Baron Kironde