Fresh developments from government agencies are fuelling public suspicion that Uganda could once again face an internet shutdown as the country heads into polling day on January 15, despite repeated official assurances to the contrary.
The latest trigger is a notice by the Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) advising taxpayers to file their returns two weeks earlier than usual, setting January 12—just three days to polling day—as the effective deadline. Critics argue that the advisory appears to anticipate possible disruptions to digital services during the election period.
This development comes even as the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) continue to publicly insist that there are no plans to shut down the internet during the elections.
Contradictory signals
While UCC has repeatedly stated that the internet will remain on, URA’s advisory has raised eyebrows among taxpayers, civil society actors, and digital rights advocates.
“Why would URA urgently ask taxpayers to file returns early if there is no risk to online systems?” one observer asked. “This looks like quiet preparation for a disruption they do not want to openly acknowledge.”
URA has not explicitly cited a potential internet shutdown as the reason for the early filing advisory, but the timing has deepened skepticism, especially given Uganda’s history of election-period digital blackouts in 2016 and 2021.
Security deployments add to anxiety
Concerns have also been heightened by recent security-related developments. Social commentator and analyst @amronaldo recently pointed to what he described as “uncoordinated movement of troops” involving the Ministry of Works and Transport (MoWT), Uganda Police Force (UPF), and State House, following the Mpigi traffic incident.
Instead of addressing the substance of the concerns, critics say the response was hostile.
“He was threatened and called all sorts of names,” one rights activist noted. “That reaction alone deepens fears that something is being concealed.”
Analysts argue that unusual troop movements, combined with heightened security presence during election periods, have historically preceded restrictions on internet access and digital communication.
Official assurances vs lived experience
Government officials, including those from the Ministry of ICT and National Guidance, have insisted that claims of an impending internet shutdown amount to misinformation. However, many Ugandans remain unconvinced, pointing to a pattern where official denials are later followed by abrupt restrictions.
In 2021, similar assurances were given shortly before a total nationwide internet shutdown was imposed on the eve of polling day, cutting off access to social media, mobile money, and online services.
Public skepticism grows
The growing disconnect between official messaging and administrative actions has triggered public frustration.
“When they see us with ears, they take us for goats?” one social media user remarked, echoing a sentiment widely shared online.
As election day approaches, observers say the contradiction between URA’s early filing advisory and UCC’s reassurance will continue to dominate public debate, with many Ugandans bracing for the possibility that history may repeat itself.
Whether the internet remains on or not, the mixed signals have already succeeded in undermining public trust at a critical moment in Uganda’s electoral process.
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