Uganda is heading into its presidential and parliamentary elections today under heavy restrictions on media and digital communications. Just hours before voting, authorities ordered the suspension of KTN on the DStv platform and imposed a nationwide internet shutdown, moves the government says are aimed at preserving public order and national security during the polls.

MultiChoice confirmed it received a directive from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to block KTN in Uganda, citing concerns over content allegedly capable of undermining security. The suspension remains in effect pending further communication from the regulator. Simultaneously, the UCC instructed mobile network operators and internet service providers to suspend public internet access, halt SIM card sales and registration, and block outbound data roaming to One Network Area countries. The shutdown, which began on January 13 at 6 p.m., has disrupted social media, messaging platforms, and online news sites nationwide, despite earlier assurances from authorities that the internet would not be shut down during the elections.

The Paradigm Initiative (PIN) strongly condemned the measures, describing them as grave violations of digital rights, media freedom, and democratic norms. The group noted that the shutdown mirrors similar actions taken during Uganda’s 2016 and 2021 elections, including a near-total blackout in 2021 that crippled free expression, election observation, media reporting, and economic activity. PIN also criticized directives barring media houses from covering protests or demonstrations, warning that such restrictions weaken the media’s watchdog role and risk fuelling misinformation and public distrust.

Citing Article 29 of Uganda’s Constitution and international obligations under the ICCPR and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, PIN argued that blanket shutdowns fail the tests of legality, necessity, and proportionality. The organization referenced repeated condemnations of internet shutdowns by the UN Special Rapporteur on freedom of expression and recent calls by the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights urging Uganda to keep the internet open during elections. PIN called for the immediate restoration of full internet access, the withdrawal of media restrictions, and greater transparency from internet service providers, insisting that digital rights must not be sacrificed under the guise of election security.