Uganda: Internet services resumed on fifth day, shutdown cost $9 million to economy

Following a four-day internet shutdown in Uganda, the country has its resumed internet services on Monday, observing blocked access to social media, according to a report by CNN.

Resuming the internet services on the fifth day after the internet shut down on Wednesday, the report stated that access to social media is still being restricted to VPN in the country.

📢📢UPDATE: After just over 4 days, internet access is being restored by telcos in #Uganda.It appears that #socialmedia access remains blocked since January 11#InternetFreedomAfrica#KeepItOn #InternetShutdown pic.twitter.com/FkreXvvT5j

— CIPESA (@cipesaug) January 18, 2021

The internet was reportedly shut down just hours before the general elections and was followed by mayhem on Thursday. After the social media platform Facebook suspended several accounts of the pro-government Yoweri Museveni's National Resistance Movement (NRM). The suspension was later termed as "arrogance" of Facebook by Museveni.

However, as per the data disclosed by NetBlocks, the Internet's Observatory, which tracks disruption and shutdowns, and also known as an internet freedom monitor, estimated that the shutdown would have cost over $9 million to the economy of Uganda. Whereas, according to Cipesa, an NGO based on African internet stated that the shutdown disrupted mobile money transfers in the country.

Update: It has been 100 hours since #Uganda imposed a nationwide internet blackout on the eve of elections. Service has not been restored and real-time network data show connectivity hovers at just 13% of ordinary levels ⌚️📉 #UgandaDecides2021📉 https://t.co/0qQtBcr4Fc pic.twitter.com/StGCSC1o9n

— NetBlocks (@netblocks) January 17, 2021

Correction: A previous version of the article stated that CIPESA reported disruptions in Biometric Voter Verification. However, the organization later clarified to Devdiscourse that only mobile money was affected by the shutdown.