Opposition strongman, Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine has appealed to SpaceX founder Elon Musk to restore Starlink internet services in Uganda, accusing authorities of blocking access just days before the January 15 election.
In a message addressed directly to Musk on X (formerly Twitter), Bobi Wine said the disruption of Starlink services was undermining citizens’ ability to communicate during a critical political moment.
“Hey Elon Musk, as you cheer the fall of a dictator in Venezuela, here in Uganda, your @Starlink has disabled citizens’ access to its internet just days to the January 15th election in which we seek to peacefully end Museveni’s 40-year-old dictatorship,” Bobi Wine wrote.
He accused President Yoweri Museveni’s government of using internet restrictions to suppress free expression and silence dissent, describing the practice as common among authoritarian regimes.
“Museveni has suffocated free expression, brutally persecuted the opposition, and suppressed citizens’ rights,” he added.
Bobi Wine urged Musk to intervene, emphasizing that access to the internet is essential for democracy and peaceful civic participation.
“Please reactivate Starlink internet access in Uganda so that citizens can communicate and stand a fair chance at shaping their destiny. Democracy dies in darkness,” he said.
The appeal comes days after Starlink shut down all satellite internet services operating in Uganda following a directive from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), according to sources familiar with the decision.
