President Museveni shocked that despite social media shutdown people are still accessing it using VPN

By Staff Writer

According to sources, President Museveni made the order to shutdown social media afresh during a cabinet meeting on Monday.

The president said that he was surprised that Ugandans were still accessing social media despite  government’s ban. He said they opted to shutdown the platforms to control any likely violence that could have come up before and the 2021 elections.

The president added that it was risky for social media to remain active in Uganda without government’s control. The matter arose from the report from experts from the Ministry of ICT, Internal Affairs and Education, who were tasked to find out how Ugandans are reacting towards the shutdown of social media.

The social media users in Uganda are still using it with the help of VPN. On 13th January, government shutdown internet, as the country was going into presidential and parliamentary polls alluding that it was a pre-emptive measure to curb any arrangements that were made to disorganize  peace in the times of election period.

Up to date, government has maintained the shutdown. However, even though, social media is still under ban, very many officials from Uganda government including ministers have been seen active on Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter.

After Facebook closed accounts belonging to government officials, Uganda shut down the internet in the middle of its hotly contested presidential election between the incumbent President Yoweri Museveni and singer turned into opposition leader Bobi Wine.

Internet was partially restored in Uganda on Monday, 18th January, 2021 almost five days after a near-total blackout was imposed across the country on the eve of elections the opposition says were rigged.

The gradual easing of internet restrictions came as police announced dozens of arrests for alleged election-related violence, and surrounded the headquarters of the main opposition party whose leader is under effective house arrest.

President Yoweri Tubuhaburwa Musveni was declared the winner of a January 14 presidential election, securing 58.6 percent of the vote and a sixth term after 35 years in power.

A government spokesman said an unprecedented internet shutdown imposed on January 13 for alleged national security reasons had been lifted.