Uganda: Museveni vs the People - Elections in a Time of Social Media

analysis

In Uganda, President Yoweri Museveni has just been re-elected president, marking 30 years in power. In an election marred by disturbances including the repeated arrest of main opposition leader Kizza Besigye, something that drew attention on polling day was the shutdown of all social media and mobile money sites. This highlighted the lengths to which President Museveni was prepared to go to silence dissent, but also how powerful social media is in modern political life. By CAROLINE JAMES.

Ugandan social media users have been using the medium to draw attention to President Museveni's unrestricted rule, and have, since January, used the hashtag #1986Pictures to tweet pictures showing how much had changed since he first came to power.

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