Uganda has effectively banned the import of Starlink satellite internet equipment just weeks before national elections scheduled for January 15.
Anyone wanting to bring Starlink technology into the country must now get personal authorization from General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who happens to be both the Chief of Defence Forces and President Yoweri Museveni’s son.
Museveni, 81, is seeking to extend his 40-year grip on power against opponent Bobi Wine, a former pop star whose real name is Robert Kyagulanyi. This is their second face-off, and the first one in 2021 didn’t go smoothly.
The government shut down the internet for several days around that election, severely limiting communication and making it difficult to document what was happening during the vote. That’s where Starlink becomes relevant.
Unlike traditional internet service providers that governments can easily shut down by ordering telecommunications companies to flip a switch, Starlink connects directly to satellites in orbit. This makes it nearly impossible to disable without the user’s cooperation.
For opposition groups, journalists, and citizens wanting to document the electoral process, Starlink represents a workaround to potential government-imposed blackouts.
The new import restriction came through a December 19 memo from the Uganda Revenue Authority requiring clearance from General Kainerugaba for any “Starlink technology gadgets, communication equipment, and associated components.” The memo leaked on social media before officials confirmed it was genuine.
Wine called the restrictions ridiculous and questioned why the government would be so afraid of people accessing the internet during elections if they weren’t planning electoral fraud. He described the move as evidence that the regime is “gripped by fear.”
Government officials have tried to downplay the situation. Robert Kalumba from the Uganda Revenue Authority dismissed public complaints as a “storm in a teacup,” arguing that security clearance for satellite technology is standard global practice.
He didn’t address why this particular restriction came just weeks before a contentious election or why it requires personal sign-off from the president’s son, who is widely seen as being positioned as his father’s successor.
The Uganda Communications Commission also issued a warning about the illegal importation of satellite devices not licensed in Uganda, specifically mentioning Starlink.
While Starlink doesn’t officially have a license to operate in Uganda, many citizens have been importing and using the devices anyway.
This isn’t just a Uganda problem. Internet shutdowns during elections have become increasingly common across the region. Tanzania recently experienced a five-day blackout during which the opposition party Chadema claims more than 2,000 people were killed.
