"This report finds that significant, deliberate, and centrally coordinated internet disruptions occurred before, during, and after Uganda’s January 2026 general elections. Contrary to public assurances issued by government officials in the weeks preceding polling, access to the internet was progressively restricted through a series of pre-emptive regulatory actions, followed by a nationwide public internet shutdown beginning on 13 January 2026, partial restoration with continued platform-level blocking, and full restoration only on 26 January 2026. The evidence demonstrates that these disruptions were not accidental, congestion-related, or isolated technical failures, but a systematic strategy of digital control implemented at a critical democratic moment. The shutdown replicated and expanded upon patterns observed during Uganda’s 2016 and 2021 elections, while introducing new features, including the pre-emptive elimination of alternative connectivity options and intensified deterrent messaging around surveillance and circumvention tools.
[...] The findings of this report demonstrate that, during elections, internet access in Uganda has become politically contingent rather than protected as an essential component of democratic infrastructure. Without sustained accountability and structural reform beyond the election cycle, future elections risk being conducted under conditions that systematically constrain participation, scrutiny, and trust. This report therefore calls on national institutions, courts, regulators, private actors, and international partners to treat election-period internet shutdowns not as technical anomalies, but as serious democratic violations that require durable remedies." (Executive summary, pages 8-10)