What do a singer, an incumbent president, and blocked internet have in common?
They're all parts of the 2021 Ugandan presidential election. 36 year old singer Robert Kyagulanyi, known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is challenging the incumbent president of Uganda, 76 year old Yoweri Museveni, and has claimed that he's won the polls.
So where does blocked internet come into play? According to a letter (which has not yet been verified) published to Twitter by journalist Samira Sawlani, the Uganda Communications Commission ordered internet providers to "implement a temporary suspension of the operation of all your internet gateways and associated access points".
The alleged internet block is one of many factors that have contributed to this election's tumultuousness... in an escalating set of developments, the opposition leader has claimed that the incumbent president's lead in the polls is a "joke".
The lead up to the election had its share of violence, with 54 people dying during a protest in November, 2020 that broke out in response to an arrest of Bobi Wine. The Ugandan military has certainly taken the threat of unrest seriously, and has deployed a massive military presence to control post-election violence.
Who is the opposition, and who is Bobi Wine?
In addition to Mr. Kyagulanyi, there were 9 other opposition candidates in this race. However, he is widely considered the strongest among them. He represents the National Unity Platform (NUP), a political party which campaigns for basic needs like access to health care, education, water, and general equality (among other initiatives).
Mr. Kyagulanyi grew up in Kampala's Kamwokya slum where he went on to build his now world-famous recording studio. Considered an upstart, he's been arrested several times... once describing being beaten so badly he had to fly to the USA for treatment.
Kyagulanyi states "...What I bring to the table is not... unquestionable economic or political skills. What I bring to the table is the ability to bring all these human resources together to think and decide together, as long as it is for the benefit of the people of Uganda..."
Who is President Yoweri Museveni?
President Museveni has been in power in Uganda for over 35 years. According to his website, his presidency in Uganda has seen massive benefits for the country, including (among other things) an "Average real economic growth since 1986 to 2019 of 6.1%".
However, his presidency has been marred by (among other events) involvement in the civil war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the rebellion in Northern Uganda which caused a humanitarian emergency, and broad constitutional amendments scrapping presidential term limits (2005) and the presidential age limit (2017).
What do a singer, an incumbent president, and blocked internet have in common?
They're all parts of the 2021 Ugandan presidential election. 36-year-old Singer Robert Kyagulanyi, known by his stage name Bobi Wine, is challenging the incumbent president of Uganda, 76-year-old Yoweri Museveni, and has claimed that he's won the polls.
So where does blocked internet come into play? According to a letter (which has not yet been verified) published to Twitter by journalist Samira Sawlani, the Uganda Communications Commission ordered internet providers to "implement a temporary suspension of the operation of all your internet gateways and associated access points".
In addition to Mr. Kyagulanyi, there were 9 other opposition candidates in this race... but he is widely considered the strongest among them. He represents the National Unity Platform (NUP), a political party which campaigns for basic needs like access to health care, education, water, and general equality (among other initiatives).
Mr. Kyagulanyi grew up in Kampala's Kamwokya slum where he went on to build his now world-famous recording studio. Considered an upstart, he's been arrested several times... once describing being beaten so badly he had to fly to the USA for treatment.
Kyagulanyi states "...What I bring to the table is not... unquestionable economic or political skills. What I bring to the table is the ability to bring all these human resources together to think and decide together, as long as it is for the benefit of the people of Uganda..."
President Museveni has been in power in Uganda for over 35 years. According to his website, his presidency in Uganda has seen massive benefits for the country, including (among other things) an "Average real economic growth since 1986 to 2019 of 6.1%".