In a stark warning delivered at the Sheraton Hotel today, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) declared that using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) will not shield citizens from prosecution while Facebook and other blocked platforms remain suspended in the country.
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Dr. Waiswa Abudu, UCC’s Director of Communications and Consumer Affairs, told journalists that the regulator and law-enforcement agencies retain full capability to trace users who bypass the ongoing social-media restrictions.“VPNs do not anonymize your identity on Facebook,” Dr. Waiswa said. “The moment you log in, your identity is known. If you post content that is unlawful under Ugandan law, you will be traced and prosecuted.”
A Familiar Playbook
The suspension of Facebook in previous elections began, just weeks after the platform rejected government demands to remove or restrict accounts critical of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) ahead of the 2026 general elections.
This is not the first time Uganda has pulled the plug. In January 2021, the country imposed a 13-day total internet blackout during the previous presidential election, affecting an estimated 1.9 million active social-media users and drawing global condemnation from human-rights and digital-rights organizations.
Advanced Surveillance in Place
Multiple sources, including a leaked April 2025 procurement document reviewed by local and international media, indicate that the government has acquired sophisticated Deep Packet Inspection (DPI) tools and social-media monitoring systems capable of identifying individual users even behind encrypted tunnels.
“Modern DPI systems used by several African governments can correlate VPN traffic patterns, timing, and metadata with known user identities,” explains Access Now’s East Africa lead, Bridget Andambo. “In many cases, the VPN only hides the content, not the fact that a specific phone or account accessed a blocked service at a specific time.”
Hypocrisy in the X Comment section
The UCC’s press conference quickly went viral on X (formerly Twitter), which remains unblocked, sparking immediate backlash. Many Ugandans pointed out that senior police officers, government spokespersons, and even the official Uganda Police Force Facebook page continue to post daily updates despite the ban.
One widely shared reply read:
“If VPNs are so easy to trace, why is the Inspector General of Police still posting graduation photos on Facebook right now?”Another user quipped: “UCC says VPNs don’t work. Meanwhile, every minister is live-streaming from State House on Facebook. The ban is only for the rest of us.”
Broader Crackdown Signals
Today’s warning fits into a wider pattern of digital control in the run-up to the 2026 polls:
- November 2025: Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp Business blocked indefinitely.
- October 2025: New regulations requiring all bloggers and online media to register with UCC.
- August 2025: Mandatory SIM-card re-registration linked to National IDs, widely criticized as a precursor to easier surveillance.
Digital-rights groups such as Unwanted Witness and Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) have called on the government to lift the restrictions and guarantee uninterrupted internet access during the election period.“Selective blocking and threats of prosecution create a chilling effect on free expression,” said CIPESA’s Lillian Nalwoga. “Voters have the right to seek, receive, and impart information without fear.”
What This Means for Users
For the average Ugandan trying to stay connected:
- VPNs may still allow access, but metadata can betray your identity.
- Posts deemed “hateful,” “sectarian,” or “likely to incite violence” (broadly defined clauses) can lead to arrest.
- End-to-end encrypted platforms like WhatsApp (personal) and Signal remain operational, though subject to monitoring if shared content is reported.
As the 2026 campaigns intensify, the battle over Uganda’s digital space is only beginning. For now, the message from the country’s communications regulator is clear: the internet may feel open, but someone is always watching.
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