Paradigm Initiative condemns internet shutdown and media restrictions ahead of Uganda’s 2026 election
In a press statement issued on 14 January 2026, Paradigm Initiative criticised the Ugandan authorities for imposing an internet shutdown and restricting media coverage in the days leading up to the general election. The organisation warns that these measures undermine digital rights, media freedom, and democratic participation at a critical moment.
The Paradigm Initiative (PIN) released a press statement criticising the internet shutdown and media restrictions imposed in Uganda ahead of the country’s general election. The organisation argues that these actions represent serious violations of digital rights, freedom of expression, and democratic principles during a sensitive phase of the electoral process.
According to the statement, internet access across Uganda has been disrupted, affecting social media platforms, messaging services, and online news outlets. Paradigm Initiative notes that these disruptions occurred despite earlier public assurances from the Uganda Communications Commission that the government did not intend to shut down the internet during the elections. The reversal, PIN says, raises concerns about transparency, accountability, and respect for fundamental rights.
Legal and human rights obligations
Paradigm Initiative highlights that Uganda’s Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and access to information. Uganda is also a party to international and regional human rights instruments, including the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, both of which protect these rights.
Under these frameworks, any restriction must meet strict tests of legality, necessity, proportionality, and legitimate aim. PIN maintains that blanket internet shutdowns and broad platform restrictions do not meet these standards and are incompatible with Uganda’s constitutional and international obligations.
The statement also refers to consistent positions taken by United Nations Special Rapporteurs, who have argued that internet shutdowns are inherently disproportionate and cannot be justified, even during elections or periods of political tension. At the regional level, the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights has recently urged Uganda to keep the internet on during the electoral period, building on existing African human rights standards.
Paradigm Initiative further notes that internet service providers and technology companies operating in Uganda have responsibilities under the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights. These include respecting human rights, ensuring transparency, and avoiding complicity in unlawful or disproportionate restrictions on connectivity.
In its statement, Paradigm Initiative calls for the immediate restoration of full internet access across Uganda, the withdrawal of directives restricting media coverage of protests and political developments, and greater accountability from internet service providers, including the publication of transparency reports detailing government orders affecting internet access.
