Bitchat has become the most downloaded app in Uganda as state officials confirmed that internet access has been cut and will remain inaccessible during the presidential election, which begins Thursday.
This is the third consecutive election in which Ugandan authorities have cut off access to the internet, a move authorities have said is necessary to mitigate the spread of misinformation online.
However, critics say the internet shutdown suppresses election-related information and can potentially manipulate the results.
The internet shutdown came into effect at 6:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday, according to Uganda Communications Commission executive director Nyombi Thembo in a statement on
Bitchat, an internet-free encrypted messaging app powered by Bluetooth mesh networks, is currently topping the app charts on the Apple App Store and Google Play in Uganda.
Other flagship applications include virtual private network applications, highlighting that access to information remains one of the most pressing needs in Uganda in the run-up to Thursday’s vote.
Ranking Bitchat in the free section of the Apple App Store in Uganda. Source: Application figures
Last week, Thembo said the internet would not be cut off.
“Why would you use Bitchat when there is the Internet, the Internet will be there, use the Internet,” he said last week. He also claimed that his team had the technical capacity to deactivate Bitchat.
Data shared by Calle on January 5 showed that more than 400,000 Ugandans had downloaded the app, a figure likely much higher today.
Uganda has now cut internet access three times
During the 2016 elections, longtime Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni imposed a nationwide block on access to the internet and social media, citing security concerns.
A similar situation also occurred in 2021, when a four-day internet outage began on election night.
Bitchat is used all over the world
Bitchat has since become an essential solution for people in countries where internet access has been disrupted, whether due to government interference or natural disasters.
In September, nearly 50,000 Nepalese users turned to the app to circumvent a temporary social media ban as corruption grew, while a similar situation occurred in Madagascar about three weeks later.
Many Jamaicans also flocked to the app in November when Hurricane Melissa hit, which saw winds of 185 miles per hour batter the Caribbean region and disrupt regular communications channels.