Kampala: Uganda's government has intensified its crackdown on dissent just days before the upcoming Thursday election, as indicated by actions that include a nationwide internet blackout.
According to Deutsche Welle, the United Nations Human Rights Office reports that the election is being conducted under a cloud of repression and intimidation.
The internet shutdown was verified by web tracker NetBlocks, which noted in a post on X, "Live network data show a nation-scale disruption to internet connectivity in Uganda." Journalists based in Kampala reported losing internet access following directives from the Uganda Communications Commission, which instructed internet providers to cut access to curb the spread of "misinformation" and electoral fraud. Additionally, some international phone calls have also been disrupted.
The UN has been vocal about pre-election abuses in Uganda, with a report from November highlighting the detention of hundreds of opposition supporters ahead of the January 15 election. Incumbent President Yoweri Museveni is seeking to extend his nearly four-decade rule. Museveni, who has led the country since 1986 following a five-year rebellion, remains Africa's third-longest serving head of state. His amendments to the constitution, removing age and term limits, coupled with his control over state institutions, leave little room for an election upset in the nation of 46 million.
Two watchdog organizations were recently ordered to cease their work investigating election integrity. These groups had previously condemned human rights violations, including arbitrary detentions and the torture of opposition supporters and journalists. On Friday, the UN criticized the use of live ammunition by police and military at peaceful rallies, alongside random arrests and rendition of opposition supporters leading up to the election. The government, however, has defended the actions of its security forces, framing them as necessary responses to what they describe as the lawless behavior of opposition supporters.
Bobi Wine, the main opposition candidate, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, has been a vocal critic of the government and rarely appears in public without a flak jacket. Wine, who has been arrested numerous times and alleges torture in military custody, has described the electoral campaign as a "war."