Silenced Before the Ballot: Uganda’s Internet Blackout

Imagine the internet being cut off in your country. How would that impact life, especially when it comes to reproductive health?

On January 14th, internet access across Uganda was cut off by the government. Two days later, the country went to the polls to elect a president. The reason given by authorities was that people were going to mobilise election violence using social media and thereby cause insurgencies and protests to rise across the country. 

By January 18th, connectivity was restored, but only partially, leaving many services slow, blocked, or inaccessible. For many Ugandans, this action felt familiar. For young people, especially those navigating reproductive health and rights amid climate stress, it was deeply disruptive.

As internet access in the country continues to improve, many young Ugandans – like most people in the world – depend on the internet not for politics alone, but for everyday health decisions. This is particularly true when it comes to reproductive health.

Young people in many areas use phones to look up family planning options and identify youth-friendly clinics before seeking services. They also turn to online health information sources to understand sexually transmitted infections (STIs) symptoms and treatment options before deciding whether to visit a health facility. When the internet went dark in mid-January, these quiet but essential accesses to care were suddenly cut off.

The presidential election period also brings uncertainty and movement restrictions, amongst other tensions. With drought rampant in northern Uganda and floods disrupting livelihoods in the east, access to weather information is crucial.

Youth in Kampala [Photo by Ochwo Emmax on Unsplash]

When internet access was removed just days before voting, young people were left without discreet access to reproductive health information at a time when stress, vulnerability, and risk were already high.

By the time limited access returned, the elections were over, but the consequences remained. Missed clinic visits, delayed decisions, and increased exposure to risk do not reset when the internet is restored. 

The week the internet went silent showed that connectivity in Uganda is no longer just a political or security issue. It is a matter of youth health and climate resilience, and also dignity. When access is interrupted, young people pay the price long after the vote is counted.

Joshua Mirondo is a program associate with Transition Earth, based in Uganda.