The Executive Director of the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Nyombi Thembo, has reiterated the regulator's mandate to monitor online activity for regulatory and national security purposes, while assuring the general public that there are currently no plans to shut down the internet ahead of Thursday's general presidential and parliamentary elections.
Speaking to Canary Mugume during Next Big Talk hosted by Next Radio on Monday, Nyombi said internet monitoring is a necessary function of both the regulator and the State to safeguard national stability, public order, safety, and security.
"I monitor the internet for regulatory purposes, but I believe the State should also have the capacity to monitor the internet, not only to regulate the communications sector, but also to maintain national stability, public order, safety, and security," he said.
Nyombi emphasised that UCC strives to strike a balance between regulation and the protection of fundamental freedoms.
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"We try, as regulators, as much as we can to ensure that our regulatory interventions are not so stringent as to touch the fundamentals of freedoms. At the same time, we know that our security people have that in mind," he said.
Nyombi disclosed that UCC has established capabilities to monitor activity in the digital and social media space and works closely with global technology platforms to address harmful content.
"We have some reasonable capabilities of monitoring, and we are empowered to monitor what is going on in the social media space. We have collaborations, like TikTok; we collaborate with them to pull down content that might be offensive and criminal," he said.
On the possibility of an internet shutdown, Nyombi acknowledged that regulators routinely assess the risks associated with disruptions to connectivity.
"Every regulator has risk profiles where they assess the impact of when the internet goes down. This risk profile is always something we visit periodically. We are aware, mindful, and advise stakeholders," he said.
However, Nyombi stressed that no directive has been issued regarding an internet closure ahead of the elections.
"As far as I'm concerned, like I have been saying for the past week and been assuring this country, the three stakeholders that I listen to--the consumers, operators, and government--have not told me anything regarding the closure of the internet ahead of Thursday's elections," he said.
Nyombi cautioned, nonetheless, that authorities could act if the internet is deemed a security threat.
"The worst that can happen is if the internet is weaponized. If the people responsible for the security of this country say there is a potential risk and advise us, we would definitely do it," he said.
Nyombi also provided an update on Starlink, the satellite internet service owned by SpaceX, revealing that the company is close to being licensed to operate in Uganda.
"Starlink has submitted most of the requirements we have asked of them; we are in the process of issuing them a licence," he said.
Nyombi expressed optimism about the role of satellite connectivity in expanding access to information and communication technologies.
"As UCC, we are so much excited by the potential that Starlink has in achieving our objective of inclusive ICT uptake in the country. Satellite connectivity can solve a lot of problems we are experiencing today in terms of connectivity," he said.
Nyombi further revealed that Starlink has complied with UCC's regulatory directives while awaiting licensing.
"We want to thank Starlink for responding promptly to our regulatory inquiry and intervention. They have geo-locked all signals in the country. We are monitoring this 24/7 until the license is officially issued," he said.
Turning to emerging technologies, Nyombi issued a warning to users of alternative communication platforms, including Bitchat--an offline communication and vote-monitoring application recently unveiled by National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi Ssentamu, popularly known as Bobi Wine.
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"I was telling people we know what it can and can't do, and, obviously, if you use it to break the law, we will be able to get you. Don't get excited with Bitchat," he said.
Bobi Wine introduced Bitchat during his New Year address, describing it as an offline tool designed to operate during a potential internet blackout. According to him, the application uses Bluetooth technology to share images of declaration of results (DR) forms and voting data from polling stations without relying on internet connectivity.
Nyombi's remarks come against the backdrop of the 2021 general elections, during which internet access was cut off nationwide for four days a move that drew widespread criticism from civil society organizations and the international community over concerns about freedom of expression and access to information.
