KAMPALA, Dec 23 (Reuters) – Uganda’s government has restricted imports of Starlink satellite internet equipment weeks before a national election at which the opposition fears the government will again impose an internet blackout.
President Yoweri Museveni, 81, will seek to extend his rule in the East African nation to nearly half a century in the January 15 vote, which pits him against pop star-turned-politician Bobi Wine, 43, for the second time.
During the 2021 election, the government cut off internet access for days. Wine, who came a distant second to Museveni at the last vote, rejected the results and said he lost because of rigging, which Museveni denies.
The restrictions on bringing Starlink devices into Uganda first came to light in a leaked tax agency memo dated December 19 that circulated on social media.
A spokesperson for the Uganda Revenue Authority later confirmed the memo was genuine.
The memo said any imports of “Starlink technology gadgets, communication equipment and associated components” now needed to be cleared by the head of the military, Muhoozi Kainerugaba, Museveni’s son.
The revenue authority tried to downplay the new restrictions, saying many countries seek to control imports of communication technology.
Elon Musk’s Starlink does not have a licence to operate in Uganda yet, though many Ugandans have been bringing in Starlink devices and using them anyway.
Opposition leader Wine, whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi, called the restrictions on Starlink imports ridiculous in a post on X.
“If they’re not planning … electoral fraud, why are they so scared of people accessing (the internet) during the electoral process,” Wine wrote.
A former rebel, Museveni has been credited with stabilising Uganda, promoting economic growth and combating HIV/AIDS, while critics have accused his government of suppressing opponents, committing human rights abuses and engaging in corruption.
Museveni and his government have amended the constitution twice to remove age and term limits, allowing him to remain in office.
(Reporting by Elias Biryabarema;Editing by Alexander Winning and Philippa Fletcher)
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