Uganda has restored nationwide internet access following last week’s general elections but authorities have reportedly kept social media platforms and mobile money services offline, prolonging financial strain for millions of users.
- •According to the Ugandan media, citizens living in the eastern border district of Busia are crossing into neighboring Kenya to access cash due to the government-imposed restrictions.
- •With most mobile money agents shut, residents are transferring funds from Ugandan MTN and Airtel wallets to Kenyan mobile money platforms like M-Pesa and Airtel Money, withdrawing Kenyan shillings, and converting them back into Ugandan currency.
- •The workaround has eased cash shortages for households in boarder towns but deepened losses for Ugandan agents and small businesses, who depend on daily commissions from low-value transactions.
Telecom operators have indicated the restrictions remain in force under regulatory directives, with no clear timeline for full restoration.
"Mobile Money restrictions are still in place as per UCC directive. There is no defined timeline for full restoration at the moment. We regret any inconveniences this may cause,” said MTN Uganda, the country's largest Telco.
In a country where the mode of payment underpins daily commerce, transport and household spending, the inability to access funds has left individuals and small businesses effectively frozen out of the economy.
Meanwhile, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) said the partial restoration of internet followed the conclusion of voting and vote tallying, framing the five-day shutdown as a security measure intended to curb misinformation and prevent unrest during a politically tense period.
The country's electoral body declared on Saturday that the aging incumbent President Yoweri Museveni had won Thursday's poll with 71.6% of the vote while his closest rival musician-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi (a.k.a Bobi Wine) was credited with 24% of the vote.
Core internet services including web browsing, email, government portals, and access to news and educational sites are now available, but social media platforms, messaging applications and mobile money services operated by MTN and Airtel remain restricted.
“In line with the directive issued to all licensed mobile network operators and internet service providers, social media platforms and messaging applications remain restricted to continue safeguarding against misuse that could threaten public order,” said the UCC executive director Nyombi Thembo.
The regulator has also warned against the use of virtual private networks (VPNs) to bypass restrictions, signalling enhanced monitoring capabilities and threatening permanent disconnection for users who circumvent controls.
On the other hand, pressure on authorities has intensified after two lawyers filed a petition in the Ugandan High Court on Monday against the communications regulator and telecom companies, arguing the shutdown lacked legal basis and violated constitutional rights while inflicting widespread economic harm.
The case adds a legal front to growing domestic criticism of internet shutdowns, which human rights groups say are increasingly deployed across Africa during elections and periods of political stress.
The internet blackout also followed a regulatory clash with Starlink, the satellite internet provider owned by Elon Musk, which was ordered weeks before the election to suspend operations over licensing concerns.
