Ugandan authorities cut internet access nationwide Tuesday, two days ahead of elections shadowed by opposition repression and mounting tensions.
President Yoweri Museveni, 81, seeks a seventh term, leveraging control over state institutions and security forces to secure his victory.
Museveni has faced criticism for overstaying in office despite previously saying African leaders should not extend their rule indefinitely.
His main challenger, Bobi Wine, 43, a singer-turned-politician, continues to draw large crowds despite violent crackdowns on his supporters by security forces.
The president held his final campaign rally in Kampala, where thousands attended Kololo National Ceremonial Gardens, many bussed in and offered free food.
International journalists were repeatedly denied access, some threatened with arrest, as authorities sought to limit global coverage of the event.
“Your camera is not welcome,” an unidentified Special Forces Command officer told reporters, barring them from documenting the rally.
Rights groups report hundreds of opposition supporters have been detained in the lead-up to Thursday’s vote amid a climate of intimidation.
Another opposition figure, Kizza Besigye, who has challenged Museveni four times, was abducted in Kenya in 2024 and remains on trial in Uganda.
The internet shutdown began around 1500 GMT Tuesday, with NetBlocks reporting a “nation-scale disruption to internet connectivity in Uganda.”
The Uganda Communications Commission cited a need to prevent “misinformation” and “incitement to violence,” without specifying an end date for the blackout.
The government provided no formal statement, with one official admitting no one wanted to “own” the decision, reflecting widespread unease.
Uganda previously cut internet access during the 2021 election, which faced allegations of rigging and state violence, drawing international condemnation.
Museveni’s rally in Kampala featured a life-size mascot waving mechanically, as supporters cheered, celebrating his decades-long tenure in power.
Some attendees cited gratitude for peace brought in the 1980s as their reason to vote, insisting, “Forty years doesn’t even matter, we need even more.”
Others attended mainly for free food, expressing skepticism about Museveni’s promises and questioning the sustainability of government support.
Neighboring Tanzania also shut down its internet during elections last October, a move that triggered protests met with deadly force by security forces.
Analysts warn Uganda’s combination of tight control, media restrictions, and internet shutdowns raises serious concerns over a free and fair electoral process.