Uganda shuts down social media to safeguard electioneering process

Uganda has shut down social media sites in what the country’s communications commission has described as safety measure as the elections kick off.

By 1pm Thursday, social media users in Uganda could not access Facebook, Twitter and WhatsApp with internet issues also being experienced in most parts of the country.

Mobile subscribers were also caught up in the bog as they could not load airtime on their phones.

According to the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) director of corporate affairs Fred Otunnu, the temporary switch off has been necessitated by security concerns during the elections.

Uganda is holding its third elections since the adoption of a multi-party democracy in 2005 with all attention directed on the presidential election which has attracted eight candidates.

The electoral process has faced various challenges with voters in some polling stations having to wait for hours on the queue to cast their votes following delays in the arrival of voting material.

Eight candidates are running for the presidency including incumbent Yoweri Museveni who is running on the National Resistance Movement (NRM) ticket, his former Prime Minister Mbabazi (Independent) and Forum for Democratic Change (FDC) candidate Kizza Besigye.

Other candidates include former Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof. Venansius Baryamureeba, Pastor Joseph Mabirizi, Bwanika Abed, Maureen Kyala and Benon Biraaro.

The race has been widely seen as a three-horse contest with Museveni, 71, seeking to extend his term by a further 5 years. His fiercest rival Besigye is making his forth attempt to the presidency having lost in the previous three elections to the incumbent, though he has pegged the lose to rigging and intimidation.

Amama Mbabazi and the five other candidates are making their first shot on the seat.

@benjaminwafula