Ugandans lose voice, digital rights in pre-poll blackout

A man walks past a painting on the wall of the Ugandan electoral commission compound in Kampala, Uganda. In the run-up to the election, digital rights researchers said they had witnessed an increasing campaign of misinformation online, leading to violence against opposition supporters, ordinary citizens and the media. — Reuters

NAIROBI: Uganda’s ban on social media days before presidential elections shows a rattled president flexing power over the Internet at the expense of free speech and citizen rights, digital campaigners said on Jan 13.

The Jan 12 ban by President Yoweri Museveni – who said he only acted because Facebook had removed accounts that backed his National Resistance Movement (NRM) party – came two days before elections that opponents hope will end his 35 years in power.