Current Internet Status in Uganda
As of January 16, 2026, Uganda remains under a nationwide internet blackout that began on January 13, 2026, at 6:00 PM local time ordered by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) ahead of the January 15 general elections. This government-directed shutdown, aimed at curbing misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud, and violence, has resulted in near-total loss of connectivity, with internet traffic dropping to minimal levels (close to zero in most metrics). No restoration has been announced, and the disruption continues to hinder election monitoring, information flow, and daily activities, exceeding 72 hours and drawing international criticism for undermining democracy. Below is a breakdown based on key monitoring tools, with explanations of their data.
Cloudflare Radar
Cloudflare Radar reports a dramatic 95% drop in internet traffic from Uganda within 30 minutes of the shutdown’s implementation on January 13 at 3:00 PM UTC, with HTTP requests and overall bytes transferred falling to negligible levels. Their Outage Center classifies this as a nationwide, government-directed anomaly starting January 13, with no resolution as of January 16; traffic trends over the past week show peaks pre-shutdown (January 9-12) followed by a flatline, indicating sustained disruption across protocols and autonomous systems as shown by the figure below.
Traffic analysis in Uganda as of 16-01-2026
Other Internet Monitoring Tools (e.g., OONI)
The Open Observatory of Network Interference (OONI), which crowdsources data on censorship, has limited real-time inputs from Uganda due to the blackout itself but aligns with reports of widespread blocking; pre-shutdown probes showed increasing restrictions, and post-January 13 data is sparse, confirming the blackout’s effectiveness in stifling measurements.
OONI Explorer (search for Uganda January 2026) – This tool provides information about various types of internet censorship such as blocking of websites and apps around the world. In this case ,we tested different apps (WhatsApp and Signal) that showed signs of blocking in Uganda with no traffic after internet shutdown was imposed.
1.Whatsapp test
2.Signal Test
UCC Directive Sparks Calls to Restore Access
UCC directive suspending public internet, mobile services, and explicitly disabling mobile VPNs (effective 6pm January 13, indefinite until notice): https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/ucc-orders-mobile-network-operators-to-suspend-public-internet-access-5325326 (Daily Monitor coverage of the letter).
- Reuters report on the shutdown to curb “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud”: https://www.reuters.com/business/media-telecom/ugandans-iranians-turn-dorseys-messaging-app-bitchat-web-crackdowns-2026-01-14/.
- Amnesty International calling for immediate lift as a violation of freedom of expression: https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2026/01/uganda-internet-shutdown/.
- Human Rights Watch on the blanket shutdown violating rights and threatening election integrity:https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/01/15/uganda-blanket-internet-shutdown-violates-rights.
- Access Now (#KeepItOn coalition) urging unrestricted access and noting VPN threats: https://www.accessnow.org/press-release/keepiton-uganda-internet-access-2026-elections.
- Tatua Digital Resilience calls for restoring unrestricted internet and holding telecom providers accountable under human rights standards. https://tatua.digital/uganda-internet-shutdown-risk-stifling-democracy-ahead-of-polls/
The VPN Challenge: Usage During Total Shutdowns
- Proton VPN surge (250–8,000% signups) but limited effectiveness due to blocks/deep packet inspection: https://reclaimthenet.org/uganda-imposes-nationwide-internet-shutdown-ahead-of-2026-election (includes Proton data on spikes and app ranking jumps).
- UCC ordering disablement of mobile VPNs and warnings against circumvention: https://mbu.ug/2026/01/13/ucc-suspends-public-internet (direct from UCC-related reporting).
- According to the OONI’s measurement aggregation toolkit(MAT),we can identify that a few circumvention tools have experienced challenges as a result of this shutdown i.e. Psiphon tool and Tor as shown below :
2.Tor Test
Opposition Leader’s Promotion of Offline Messaging App
Opposition leader Bobi Wine actively promoted Bitchat in the lead-up to the January 15, 2026, Ugandan election, urging supporters to download it as a workaround for anticipated internet shutdowns. On January 13, just before the shutdown began at 6:00 PM, he posted on X: “Have you downloaded Bitchat yet? If not, you have a small window to do so,” linking it to the Google Play store and emphasizing its use for communication during restrictions. Earlier, on January 2, he shared daily reminders to download the app from app stores or share it with others, preparing for potential regime-imposed blackouts ahead of the vote.
Surge in Downloads and Advocacy
Bitchat saw explosive growth in Uganda, surging to the top of Apple and Google app stores with over 28,000 downloads tracked by Apptopia this year, a fourfold increase from prior months as users sought offline tools amid the crackdown. Reports indicate downloads exceeded 400,000 during the shutdown, driven by Bobi Wine’s calls to use it for organizing and verifying election results.
How Bitchat Works in the Shutdown
The app enables communication without internet or cellular data by using Bluetooth to create a mesh network, where messages, audio notes, and images hop between nearby devices (within about 30 meters).In the election context, it’s been used to share polling results and forms offline, helping the opposition monitor votes despite the blackout. A major update to version 1.5.0 during the shutdown added features like audio notes, images in chats, battery-saving routing, Tor integration via Arti for privacy, and security fixes, boosting its utility amid the crisis.Other tools include Bridgefy , which is a well-established Bluetooth mesh app for private/group messaging, images, and emergency broadcasts.
How Tatua Supports Digital Resilience During Internet Shutdowns
TheTatua Digital Resilience Centre is offering support to Social Justice Organizations (SJOs), human rights defenders, and activists affected by the current internet shutdown in Uganda. We are providing free guidance to install other censorship circumvention tools to bypass these restrictions. For help with configuring the circumvention tools and cyber emergency response please contact Tatua through:
– X: @TatuaDigital
– Phone / SMS / WhatsApp / Signal: +254 110 730 730
The Tatua website also contains information on different tools and security configurations for digital security and to bypass censorship.
Email: Support@tatua.digital
Mailing list: https://tatua.digital/mailman/listinfo
#KeepItOn, #StopCensorship
