Uganda partially restores internet after election result declaration

Ugandan authorities partially restored internet services late on Saturday after President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term in the January 15, 2026 elections. Ugandan authorities partially restored internet services late on Saturday after President Yoweri Museveni won a seventh term in the January 15, 2026 elections. Users reported being able to reconnect to the internet around 11 pm local time (20:00 GMT) on Saturday and some internet service providers sent out a message to customers saying the regulator had ordered them to restore services excluding social media. "We have restored internet so that businesses that rely on internet can resume work," David Birungi, spokesperson for Airtel Uganda, one of the country's biggest telecom companies told Reuters. He added the state communications regulator had ordered that social media remain shut down. State-run Uganda Communications Commission said it had cut off internet to curb "misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud and related risks." Museveni declared winner with over 71% of the vote The electoral body in the East African country on Saturday declared Museveni the winner of Thursday's poll with 71.6% of the vote while his rival pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine was credited with 24% of the vote. Wine, who was taking on Museveni for a second time, has rejected the results of the latest vote, alleging electoral malpractice. The electoral commission maintains the results are representative of the people's will. Wine's whereabouts were unknown early on Sunday after he said in a post on X he had escaped a raid by the military on his home.