Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni has reiterated that the government is open to reopening Facebook if the social media platform adheres to what he called “acceptable conduct and good behaviour.” This remark was made during a meeting with bloggers at State House Nakasero on Sunday, where he defended the ongoing closure of Facebook in Uganda.
Museveni explained that the decision to block Facebook was meant to instill discipline in the platform, which he accused of attempting to “insult” and “play around” with the Ugandan government. He added, “They thought they could insult us, play around with us and we don’t close them. We closed them. I waited to see whether Uganda would stop working, but the cows are grazing, fishermen are fishing, Uganda is continuing.”
The Ugandan government blocked Facebook in January 2021, accusing the platform of deleting pro-government accounts ahead of the general elections. Facebook had explained that it removed multiple accounts for what it termed as coordinated inauthentic behaviour and misinformation. This move drew sharp criticism from the Ugandan authorities, who responded with a nationwide social media shutdown just before the 2021 elections.
Although the shutdown of all social media platforms lasted only a few days, Facebook has remained blocked without the use of VPNs. Despite the disruption this has caused to many Ugandans who depend on the platform for business and communication, the government has remained firm in its stance, stating that the platform must first comply with Uganda’s conditions before it can be reopened.
The President has previously been reminded of Facebook’s role in supporting livelihoods for millions of Ugandans. However, the government has not lifted the ban, maintaining that it will reopen the platform only if it “behaves well.”
