The Government of Uganda has announced it will not compensate businesses or individuals for losses incurred during a recent state-enforced internet shutdown in the country imposed around the January 15 election.

Speaking on Monday, January 26, Uganda's Minister of ICT and National Guidance, Chris Baryomunsi, said national security outweighs economic losses.

"We are not compensating anybody who made losses. We understand the implications of the shutdown, but we must weigh them against security concerns," Baryomunsi said. "Imagine if the entire country burned because of misinformation and disinformation. Even businesses would not thrive. Whatever was lost should be taken as a sacrifice."

On the same day, the Uganda Communications Commission announced that internet services had been fully restored nationwide.

According to an election observation mission by the African Union, working in conjunction with two regional blocs, the shutdown - implemented two days before the vote - restricted the flow of information, hindered freedom of association, and disrupted economic activity.

"The shutdown further hampered effective observation and created suspicion and mistrust in the electoral process," the blocs said.

After thirteen days without public internet access, connectivity in Uganda was fully restored this week. On January 13, 2026, the government ordered internet service providers to block public access to the internet, with partial access being reinstated late at night on January 17, 2026. Social media and messaging platforms remained restricted until January 26, 2026. Officials said the move was aimed at curbing the spread of online misinformation, electoral fraud, and incitement to violence in the lead-up to the polls.

While the restoration of internet access brings an end to the total blackout, it leaves behind pressing questions about the cost of restricting access to the internet during democratic processes and what such measures mean for civic participation, transparency, and accountability in Uganda.

The internet shutdown also affected daily livelihoods of millions of ordinary people within Uganda as it severed access to basic online interactions including checking up on friends and family. It also affected formal and informal sector transactions through mobile money, digital marketplaces, and online channels that traders, boda boda riders, market vendors, gig workers, freelancers, and small-scale entrepreneurs use to conduct commerce, advertise and deliver services. In many cases, these workers were forced to revert to cash-based transactions, exposing them to heightened insecurity, loss of business, and reduced earnings. For others, such as ride hailing applications, online purchases and delivery sections, economic activity stalled altogether.

News reports state that many actors in the financial sector remained tight lipped about their possible losses following the shutdown. According to the Uganda Revenue Authority, the state lost income due to the internet shutdown affecting revenue collections – the deadline for filing monthly tax returns fell within the shutdown on January 15. The landlocked country further lost tax revenue clearance costs paid in by trucks at the various border points while tourism was also affected. The shutdown also affected mobile money services upon which millions of Uganda’s informal sector rely on. Cash withdrawals using the service were also blocked.

The events surrounding Uganda’s internet shutdown highlight the tension between the state, media, civil society, and the rights of citizens at critical moments such as elections. This tension also affects access to information, freedom of expression and the tenets of digital democracy. It undermines accountability and transparency in democratic processes paving the way for abuse, violations and impunity. Ultimately, internet shutdowns raise questions about whether such measures are necessary or proportionate particularly at a time when digital platforms have become the basis of livelihoods, civic engagement and basic services for millions of people who engage directly online and at the periphery of digital access, including those who are not online, digitally savvy or even have the devices to access the digital society.

Uganda’s case is not isolated as the country joins numerous others who in recent months have ordered shutdowns around election periods, protests, and national exams, when authorities perceive digital communication as a threat to public order. In the last 12 months, internet shutdowns have been seen across the continent including during elections in Tanzania and Cameroon.