By Enyichukwu Enemanna
Ugandan authorities have partially restored internet services in the East African country, following the victory of long-serving President Yoweri Museveni at the Thursday’s presidential election which gave him as seventh term in office.
Museveni, 81 extends his rule into a fifth decade with a landslide victory which the opposition has since rejected.
At about 11pm local time on Saturday, users reported that they were able to reconnect to the internet and some internet service providers sent out a message to customers saying the regulator had ordered them to restore services excluding social media.
“We have restored internet so that businesses that rely on internet can resume work,” David Birungi, spokesperson for Airtel Uganda, one of the country’s biggest telecom companies told Reuters.
He added the state communications regulator had ordered that social media remain shut down.
Government-owned Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) said it had cut off internet to curb “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks.”
The opposition, however, criticised the move saying it was to cement control over the electoral process and guarantee a win for for Museveni who has been in power since 1986.
The electoral commission in Uganda had on Saturday declared Museveni the winner of the poll with 71.6% of the vote while his closest rival pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine was said to have only secured 24% of the vote.
A joint report from an election observer team from the African Union and other regional blocs criticised the involvement of the military in the election and authorities’ decision to cut off internet.
“The internet shut down implemented two days before the elections limited access to information, freedom of association, curtailed economic activities…it also created suspicion and mistrust on the electoral process,” the team said in their report published on Saturday.
With his latest contentious victory, Yoweri, currently Africa’s third longest-ruling head of state, will likely be in power for nearly half a century when his new term ends in 2031.
He is widely thought to be preparing his son, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, to take over from him. Kainerugaba is currently head of the military and has expressed presidential ambitions.
