No second internet shutdown announced by Uganda Communications Commission, ignore social media claims
IN SHORT: The claim circulating on social media that Uganda will enforce a second and month-long internet cut in January 2026 is false. While the internet was shut down during the mid-January election, the communications regulator says internet services have been restored and no new directive has been issued.
A post circulating on Facebook shows a screenshot of what appears to be a tweet from the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), claiming that Uganda will impose a second "internet lockdown".
The tweet reads: "PUBLIC UPDATE: Today, 19th January 2026, we take this honor to inform the public that there will be a second internet lockdown running for one month due to inconveniences caused by VPN internet bypassers. This will be done at 2100hrs. We apologize for the hindrences."
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The UCC is Uganda's communications regulator and is responsible for issuing official directives affecting internet access.
Internet access was suspended ahead of Uganda's general election, held on 15 January 2026, with access cut from 13 January and restored several days after voting.
The Ugandan authorities have previously justified such restrictions on "national security grounds".
The tweet in the screenshot also refers to "VPN internet bypassers." A virtual private network, or VPN, allows internet users to route their traffic through servers elsewhere, sometimes enabling access to sites blocked locally.
The claim suggests authorities are considering another shutdown in response to people using VPNs to stay online during restrictions.
The screenshot has also been posted here, here, here and here. But is it legitimate? We checked.
Fake tweet
News of another internet shutdown would have been widely reported in Uganda and outside the country. However, there are no reports of this claim from any reputable news outlet.
Another red flag is the odd language and spelling errors in the message. The word "hindrances" is misspelled and the post is clumsily written, using American English spelling conventions, like "honor" in place of "honour" and "apologize" rather than "apologise". We would expect official statements from the UCC to be carefully edited to avoid such basic errors.
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The UCC, through its official X account, has also dismissed the screenshot as fake.
The commission said:
PUBLIC ADVISORY: The screenshot circulating online alleging a 'second internet lockdown' attributed to our Official X account (@UCC_Official) is fake and misleading. As clearly communicated yesterday, 18 January 2026, UCC directed the restoration of public internet access across Uganda following the conclusion of the General Elections and a comprehensive security assessment. There is no directive for another shutdown.The public is advised to confirm information from official UCC channels and verified statements before sharing. Misinformation thrives in moments of uncertainty; facts restore calm.
