The Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Nyombi Thembo, said the regulator will continue monitoring online activity for regulatory and national security purposes, but assured the public that there are no plans to shut down the internet ahead of Thursday’s general presidential and parliamentary elections.
Speaking on Monday during the Next Big Talk show hosted by Next Radio’s Canary Mugume, Nyombi said internet monitoring is a lawful and necessary function of both the regulator and the State to maintain national stability, public order, safety, and security.
“I monitor the internet for regulatory purposes, but I believe the State should also have the capacity to monitor the internet, not only to regulate the communications sector, but also to maintain national stability, public order, safety, and security,” Nyombi said.
He stressed that UCC seeks to balance regulation with the protection of fundamental freedoms, noting that oversight of the digital space does not automatically translate into suppression of lawful expression.
“We try, as regulators, as much as we can to ensure that our regulatory interventions are not so stringent as to touch the fundamentals of freedoms. At the same time, we know that our security people have that responsibility in mind,” he said.
Nyombi disclosed that UCC has developed capabilities to monitor digital and social media activity and works with global technology platforms to address harmful or illegal content.
“We have reasonable capabilities of monitoring, and we are empowered to monitor what is going on in the social media space. We collaborate with platforms such as TikTok to pull down content that might be offensive or criminal,” he said.
On concerns about a possible internet shutdown during the elections, Nyombi said regulators regularly assess risk profiles associated with disruptions to connectivity, but emphasised that no directive has been issued to block access.
“Every regulator has risk profiles where they assess the impact of when the internet goes down. This is something we review periodically. But as far as I’m concerned, none of the three stakeholders I listen to—the consumers, operators, and government—has told me anything about closing the internet ahead of Thursday’s elections,” he said.
He cautioned, however, that authorities could act if the internet were deemed a direct threat to national security.
“The worst that can happen is if the internet is weaponised. If the people responsible for the security of this country advise us that there is a risk, we would definitely act,” Nyombi said.
Nyombi also provided an update on Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by SpaceX, saying it is close to being licensed to operate in Uganda.
“Starlink has submitted most of the requirements we asked for, and we are in the process of issuing a licence,” he said, adding that satellite connectivity could significantly improve access to information and communication technologies, especially in underserved areas.
He revealed that Starlink has complied with UCC’s regulatory directives while awaiting licensing and has geo-locked its signals in Uganda.
“We thank Starlink for responding promptly to our regulatory inquiry. We are monitoring this 24/7 until the licence is officially issued,” he said.
Nyombi also warned users of alternative communication platforms, including Bitchat, an offline communication and vote-monitoring application recently unveiled by National Unity Platform presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu.
“We know what it can and cannot do. If you use it to break the law, we will be able to get you. Don’t get excited with Bitchat,” Nyombi said.
Kyagulanyi introduced the application as a tool designed to operate during a potential internet blackout, using Bluetooth technology to share images of declaration of results forms and voting data without relying on internet connectivity.
