Internet users across the country reported gradual reconnection around 11 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), ending hours of digital isolation that had disrupted banking, trade, transport bookings and other online-dependent services.
Ugandan authorities on Saturday night eased a days-long internet shutdown by allowing limited access to resume, a move telecom operators said was aimed at enabling economic activities after President Yoweri Museveni secured another controversial election victory.
Internet users across the country reported gradual reconnection around 11 p.m. local time (2000 GMT), ending hours of digital isolation that had disrupted banking, trade, transport bookings and other online-dependent services.
Messages sent by some internet service providers to customers indicated that the restoration followed a directive from the national regulator, although access to social media platforms remained blocked.
The partial restoration came hours after Museveni, 81, was declared the winner of a presidential election that extends his rule into a fifth decade.
The opposition rejected the outcome, while authorities defended restrictions imposed during the vote-counting period.
Telecom operators framed the move as an economic necessity.
“We have restored internet so that businesses that rely on internet can resume work,” David Birungi, spokesperson for Airtel Uganda (AIRTEL.UG), told Reuters, adding that the order from regulators excluded social media access.
Throughout the shutdown, businesses and individuals complained of stalled transactions and missed opportunities, particularly in urban centres where mobile internet underpins commerce. Financial services, logistics firms and small online traders were among those most affected.
The government, however, maintained that the blackout was a security measure. The state-run Uganda Communications Commission said it had cut off internet access to curb “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks.”
Opposition figures criticised the explanation, arguing that the restrictions were designed to tighten control over the electoral process and limit scrutiny of the results. They said the continued social media ban underscored concerns about transparency and freedom of expression following the vote.
While the limited internet restoration eased pressure on businesses, uncertainty remained over when full access, including social media platforms, would be reinstated.
For many Ugandans, the episode highlighted the central role of digital connectivity in daily life and the economic cost of prolonged shutdowns during politically sensitive moments.
Previously, SaharaReporters reported that opposition leader Bobi Wine said he narrowly escaped a military and police raid on his home in Magere on Friday night.
In a statement last Saturday, Wine described the night as chaotic, saying, "Last night was very difficult at our home in Magere. The military and police raided us. They switched off power and cut off some of our CCTV cameras. There were helicopters hovering over."
He confirmed that he managed to evade the authorities while some of his family members remain detained.
"I want to confirm that I managed to escape from them. Currently, I am not at home, although my wife and other family members remain under house arrest. I know that these criminals are looking for me everywhere, and I am trying my best to keep safe," he said.
Wine also addressed the confusion surrounding his whereabouts, linking it to a nationwide internet shutdown, saying, "I understand that there has been great concern and speculation regarding my whereabouts. Please understand this is the context of a nationwide internet shutdown.
“Given the commotion that happened at our house at night, and given that no one is allowed to access the house, our neighbours concluded that they had succeeded in abducting us and spread the news."
The opposition leader used the statement to reject the results of the recent presidential election, which he described as fraudulent.
"I reiterate our COMPLETE REJECTION of the fake results Byabakama is reading. In addition to the ballot stuffing, the military take-over of the election, the detention of our leaders and polling officials, and other electoral offences, their results have zero backing!" he wrote.
He further condemned violence against protesters.