As Ugandans proceed to the polls today to decide who their president for the next seven years will be, they may have just been handed an equalizer by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey to help protect their fundamental freedoms.
- Authorities in Uganda have implemented several measures to censor what goes out during its general elections, including an internet shutdown.
- However, Ugandans have turned to BitChat, a decentralized messaging app designed to operate independently of internet infrastructure, to enable communication under such restrictions.
- Bobi Wine, musician-turned-politician, supports Ugandans using the app for free expression.
- These developments have parallels with recent Tanzanian election strategies, where information control and restrictions raised concerns about democratic backsliding in East Africa.
For the past few weeks, Ugandan authorities have implemented several cutthroat tactics to ensure that the general elections slated for the 15th of January play out as quietly as possible.
Last week, the Ugandan government revealed that it was placing a ban on the live broadcasting of what it deems “unlawful processions,” riots, and other violent demonstrations ahead of its general elections.
“Live broadcasting or streaming of riots, unlawful processions, or violent incidents is prohibited, as it can escalate tensions and spread panic,” the Ministry of Information, Communication, and Technology said in a statement.
Taking a cue from neighbouring Tanzania, which drew significant attention last year due to its particularly contentious election, the current Ugandan administration is taking measures to ensure that the global community remains out of the loop regarding the conduct of its own elections.
As a result, this week, on Tuesday, the Ugandan government kicked things up a notch by mandating a full shutdown of all internet services.
According to a letter obtained by Reuters, the Uganda Communications Commission directed mobile service providers to disable public internet access beginning at 6 p.m. (1500 GMT) on Tuesday in order to reduce “misinformation, disinformation, electoral fraud, and related risks.”
However, the attempt to censor the elections may be all for naught, as Ugandans are now turning to a decentralized, peer-to-peer (P2P) encrypted messaging app, BitChat, created by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey.
The conversation surrounding the P2P messaging app is intensifying in the East African country, as both camps present dissenting arguments regarding its use.
Bobi Wine, a notable Ugandan musician-turned-politician and activist recognized for political opposition to long-term President Yoweri Museveni, has been advocating for the use of the app, urging his supporters to download it.
Conversely, Museveni’s faction is urgently scrambling to ensure that the app does not impede its efforts to quiet down the events of the elections.
All this while Jack Dorsey has been intently involved in the conversation, pushing for Bitchat to be the platform for true freedom of expression, with Uganda being its first case study.
BitChat
Bitchat is a messaging app that uses Bluetooth mesh technology to connect individuals without the need for the internet or cell networks.
Jack Dorsey, the co-founder of Twitter and Block, built the software to facilitate communication in areas where regular connectivity is restricted or absent, specifically for environments like Uganda, where the government can decide to shut down all forms of digital communication.
Unlike traditional messaging programs such as WhatsApp or Telegram, Bitchat does not rely on servers, phone numbers, or data connections.
Instead, messages are communicated directly between neighboring smartphones over Bluetooth and can be forwarded from one device to another, allowing information to move over a larger region as long as users are in range of one another.
For this reason, some have argued that Uganda does not have the capacity to control the use of the app, given that it would literally have to confiscate every phone to ensure its suppression.
Tanzanian elections
As Uganda approaches a highly anticipated general election this year, the government’s plan to restrict internet access is being assessed in light of recent events in neighbouring Tanzania, where a disputed result sparked turmoil and international scrutiny.
Tanzania held a highly contentious presidential election in October 2025, with President Samia Suluhu Hassan winning with an abnormally large share of the vote, at 98%.
Opposition groups and civil society organizations immediately challenged the outcome, alleging massive electoral fraud and the purposeful marginalization of opposition figures.
Several important competitors were either disqualified or imprisoned ahead of the elections, sparking widespread protests in major towns, including Dar es Salaam.
Tanzanian security forces responded forcefully.
There were reports of violent crackdowns, mass arrests, and deaths associated with the post-election turmoil.
Furthermore, much like Uganda, Tanzania also turned to censorship, shutting down the internet after the elections, as information of violence, misconduct, and election malpractice began making waves in the international community.
Subsequently, authorities cautioned citizens not to share photographs or videos of the protests, and internet connectivity was only partially restored after days of blackout.
France24 reported that graphic images reportedly from the protests were shared across social media, regardless, although the images could not be independently verified.
While the Tanzanian government eventually launched an investigative committee and spoke of reconciliation and constitutional reform, critics at home and abroad said that democratic credibility had already been compromised, raising concerns about democratic backsliding in East Africa.
