Internet services in Uganda will be shut down today, Tuesday, January 13, 2026, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has announced.
The move that had been anticipated for days was confirmed by a statement issued by Nyombi Thembo, the UCC executive director.
UCC said it had taken the decision following a “strong reccomendation” from the Inter-Agency Security Committee.
“This measure is necessary to mitigate the rapid spread of online misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud, and related risks,” Thembo said.
Among the services to be affected are: Public internet access, sale and registration of new simcards and outbound data roaming services. This means that the public will;l not be able to access social media platforms like X and TikTok, email addresses, web browsing, video streaming, and messaging applications like WhatsApp.
However, an “exclusion list” has been established by the UCC. It includes security agencies like the army and systems required for networking, monitoring, and management.
UCC said it will issue an order to end the shutdown after the elections.
This marks the second time that internet services have been disrupted in Uganda within days of the general elections. In 2021, a similar move was taken. Facebook was also suspended, and its ban has never been lifted, although people use it thanks to VPN services.
