A strategic public-interest case challenging the internet shutdown and throttling imposed in Uganda during the January 2026 general elections has been filed in the country’s capital, Kampala, supported by Paradigm Initiative.
The landmark case, lodged at the High Court of Uganda (Civil Division), is supported by Paradigm Initiative (PIN), a pan-African non-governmental organisation advocating for digital rights and inclusion in Africa and beyond.
PIN said it is providing strategic and technical support to the applicants following the reporting of an internet shutdown incident on ripoti.africa – Paradigm Initiative’s platform for reporting and documenting digital rights violations across Africa.
The applicants have sued the Uganda Communications Commission, MTN Uganda Limited, Tangerine Limited trading as Lyca Mobile, and Airtel Uganda Limited, pursuant to the Human Rights Enforcement Act, 2019.
The application seeks urgent interim and substantive relief following the internet shutdown and throttling implemented between 13 and 18 January 2026, shortly ahead of polling day, and is currently awaiting allocation of a hearing date by the court.
On 13 January 2026, internet access across Uganda was abruptly restricted and subsequently shut down following directives issued by the Uganda Communications Commission.
The disruption persisted through the election period and was implemented without prior notice, public justification, or a clear legal basis.
The applicants, who are subscribers of the respondent telecommunications companies, contend that the shutdown severely interfered with their professional, academic, economic, and civic activities, including access to information, education, business operations, legal practice, and political participation.
The applicants argue that the actions of the respondents were arbitrary, disproportionate, and unconstitutional, and violated rights guaranteed under the Constitution of the Republic of Uganda, as well as Uganda’s obligations under regional and international human rights law.
Among the remedies sought are declarations that the internet shutdown was unlawful and unconstitutional, orders for the full restoration of internet connectivity and protection against future arbitrary shutdowns, compensation for losses suffered as a result of the shutdown, and costs of the application.
If successful, the litigation is expected to affirm that internet shutdowns and throttling violate constitutionally protected rights, including freedom of expression, access to information, education, livelihood, and political participation.
It also seeks to clarify the legal limits of executive and regulatory authority over internet access, particularly during elections, establish that any restriction on internet connectivity must meet the tests of legality, necessity, proportionality, and transparency, and reinforce the human-rights responsibilities of telecommunications companies under the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights.
The case further contributes to the development of regional jurisprudence opposing election-related internet shutdowns in East Africa.
Supporting this litigation forms part of Paradigm Initiative’s broader regional strategy to challenge internet shutdowns as a tool of political control, strengthen constitutional safeguards for digital rights, and deter future election-period disruptions across the region.
