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Uganda Shuts Internet, Deploys Troops Before Jan. 15 Vote

An internet blackout with military patrols sets the stage for a vote under intense rights‑monitor scrutiny.

Overview

  • Uganda’s communications regulator ordered a nationwide internet shutdown from Tuesday at 1500 GMT until further notice, citing misinformation, electoral fraud risks and security concerns.
  • Soldiers and armored vehicles have been positioned across Kampala in the days before voting, with the military saying the show of force is to deter violence.
  • UN human rights officials and Amnesty International report widespread repression, including arrests, abductions, torture allegations and media intimidation targeting opposition supporters.
  • Opposition leader Bobi Wine urges supporters to record irregularities and remain near polling sites within legal limits, warning he will call for protests if the vote is rigged.
  • President Yoweri Museveni, 81, is widely expected to win another term as succession talk centers on his son Gen. Muhoozi Kainerugaba and as the incumbent touts oil‑driven growth involving TotalEnergies and CNOOC.