Internet restored in Uganda as Military raids opposition Party Offices

In Uganda, the internet shutdown that reached its fifth day on Monday has ceased, with news saying that social media is still blocked and available only via VPN.

On Wednesday evening, several hours before voting places were opened for Thursday's general elections, the Internet was shut down. This emerged soon after the hundreds of pro-government Uganda pages were suspended by Facebook. 

President Yoweri Museveni said that there was no way anyone would come to Uganda and determine what would be good and bad when reflecting on Facebook's decision.

Prime Minister Ruhakana Rugunda, however, told NBS television that government was still assessing the level of threat before a decision can be taken to restore internet services.

Meanwhile, offices, where agents were gathering material for an election petition, were raided by military officers, the spokesman for Uganda’s biggest opposition party, National Unity Platform (NUP) has said.

Joel Ssenyonyi told the BBC that the party was in the process of collecting election results forms that show evidence of irregularities in last week’s election.

“The DR [declaration results] form is issued to each presidential candidate, why doesn't he want to show the DR forms that his electoral commission gives us? ", asked Ssenyonyi.

The opposition said they had photos and video evidence too.

“Mr Museveni knows we have those things that is why he is shutting down the internet; he doesn’t want us to put those things out there for the whole of Uganda and the international community to realise how much of a fraudster he is,” he said.

President Museveni said the poll could be the “most cheating-free” in the history of the African nation.

Nevertheless, the EU, the United Nations and several rights groups have raised concerns. Aside from an African Union mission, no major international group monitored the vote.