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Uganda restricts imports of Starlink equipment weeks before election
Uganda requires military clearance for Starlink imports, citing import controls, while opposition fears internet access restrictions before the January 15 election.
- On December 19 a leaked Uganda Revenue Authority memo revealed Uganda's government restricted imports of Starlink equipment weeks before the national election on January 15, 2025.
- Opposition leader Bobi Wine called the restrictions on Starlink imports ridiculous, asking, `If they're not planning... electoral fraud, why are they so scared of people accessing during the electoral process`,
- The directive singled out 'Starlink technology gadgets, communication equipment and associated components,' Muhoozi Kainerugaba, head of the military, was specified as the clearance authority.
- The rule could reduce alternative internet access for Ugandans, as Ugandans using Starlink devices face new clearance hurdles and opposition activity may be affected since Bobi Wine contests past rigging.
- Recalling the 2021 election internet blackout, critics accuse President Yoweri Museveni, 81, of suppressing opponents as he seeks re-election against Bobi Wine on January 15, 2025.
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12 Articles
12 Articles
Uganda restricts imports of Starlink equipment weeks before election
Uganda's government has restricted imports of Starlink satellite internet equipment weeks before a national election at which the opposition fears the government will again impose an internet blackout.
·United Kingdom
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Why a Satellite Internet Box Now Needs a General’s Permission in Uganda
Uganda has seen administrative directives come and go, but some land differently because of timing and memory. The Uganda Revenue Authority’s December memo halting the clearance of Starlink equipment unless backed by written military approval is one of those moments. It arrived weeks before national elections and immediately revived a precedent many Ugandans have not … The post Uganda Tightens Its Grip on Satellite Internet Just as the Campaign …
Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left0Leaning Right5Center2Last UpdatedBias Distribution71% Right
Bias Distribution
- 71% of the sources lean Right
71% Right
C 29%
R 71%
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