- Uganda officials say they can block the peer-to-peer messaging app Bitchat ahead of next week’s presidential vote.
- Nyombi Thembo, head of the Uganda Communications Commission, warned the app should not be seen as a way to evade possible communication limits.
- Developers of Bitchat, including a pseudonymous contributor, say the app is hard to stop and report a recent surge in installs in Uganda.
- The app uses a Bluetooth mesh network (a decentralized way for phones to pass messages directly to nearby devices without the internet).
- Government sources deny plans for an election internet shutdown and say satellite provider Starlink was asked to stop operating for licensing reasons.
Nyombi Thembo, executive director of the Uganda Communications Commission, said the government can block the peer-to-peer messaging app Bitchat ahead of next week’s presidential election in Uganda, according to a report by Patro Uganda. The app allows users to send messages without internet or mobile networks.
Thembo told the NilePost that Uganda has the technical capacity to shut down such platforms and warned that Bitchat shouldn’t be considered as a means to avoid possible communication restrictions.
Founder Jack Dorsey responded with the single word “Interesting,” and a Bitchat developer using the name Calle posted on X that he was skeptical Uganda could stop the service (Calle on X).
Bitchat uses a Bluetooth mesh network (phones relay messages directly through nearby devices, so messages can travel without internet). The app saw large downloads during protests in Nepal and Indonesia, and Calle said there were hundreds of thousands of recent installs in Uganda, roughly 1% of the population (install surge on X).
Uganda imposed an internet blackout before its 2021 election that lasted more than four days, according to Reuters. There are renewed concerns after reports that Starlink paused services in Uganda following a government request, as reported by the BBC.
The government has denied plans for a shutdown. The Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of ICT, Aminah Zawedde, said the government “has not announced, directed, or implemented any decision to shut down the internet during the election period.”
Yoweri Museveni has led Uganda for 40 years, and main opposition candidate Robert Kyagulanyi (known as Bobi Wine) urged supporters to download Bitchat to prepare for any potential disruptions (Bobi Wine on X) and earlier warned the regime might plan a shutdown (December post).
For additional context and updates, see reporting and official statements linked above, and follow related coverage on Protos channels on X, Bluesky, Google News, and YouTube.
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