{"id":61828,"date":"2021-01-14T15:05:07","date_gmt":"2021-01-14T04:05:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?p=61828"},"modified":"2021-01-14T15:06:46","modified_gmt":"2021-01-14T04:06:46","slug":"technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/","title":{"rendered":"Technology helping, and hindering, Uganda\u2019s election"},"content":{"rendered":"
<\/figure>\n

Uganda is heading to the polls today, after a heated campaign between the East African nation\u2019s president, Yoweri Museveni (aged 76), and opposition frontrunner Robert Kyagulanyi (38), known more commonly by his stage name, Bobi Wine. It\u2019s expected to be a fiercely contested election<\/a>, embodying, as the Washington Post<\/em> reported, \u2018the most essential of democratic divides: change vs stability \u2026 the frustrated young vs the fearful old\u2019.<\/p>\n

The under-30s have power in numbers (two-thirds of registered voters in Uganda are in this cohort) and youthful innovation, but their elders have the power of an unchecked government behind them. Nowhere is this more evident than in the role technology and social media have played in the two candidates\u2019 campaigns.<\/p>\n

After Ugandan authorities prohibited in-person electioneering during the Covid-19 pandemic and blocked Wine from appearing on local TV, radio and billboards, he moved his campaign online. The recent migration<\/a> of many Ugandans to social media has, at least in part, been driven by Wine\u2019s use of platforms such as Twitter and Facebook. His campaign messages, which already appealed to young voters, gained unprecedented traction when paired with their media of choice.<\/p>\n

While reliance on social media as a primary source of information has its downsides, it has given Ugandans access to information and freedom of expression that is increasingly denied to them through traditional forms of media, which are largely controlled by the state.<\/p>\n

Wine\u2019s popularity as a presidential candidate is evident in the level of engagement his posts have received on Twitter and Facebook, which is considerably higher than his opponent\u2019s. Museveni\u2019s cause wasn\u2019t helped by a recent DFRLab investigation<\/a> that exposed a network of pro-Museveni social media accounts that were exhibiting \u2018coordinated inauthentic behaviour\u2019 to amplify his online messaging.<\/p>\n

Beyond campaigning, Wine has made it clear that he views smartphones, and technology more broadly, as a key means of countering electoral malpractice. On 3 January, his party, the National Unity Platform, launched<\/a> the UVote app and encouraged voters to download it and use it to log their votes. The aim is to compile a large, independent dataset that can be used to check against the Uganda Electoral Commission\u2019s count. With no independent election observers confirmed for today\u2019s election, the app is the party\u2019s novel attempt to guard against the widespread voting irregularities and lack of oversight of the electoral commission witnessed<\/a> in the country\u2019s 2016 poll.<\/p>\n

In response to reports of international journalists being denied permission to cover the election, Wine has also urged voters to use their smartphones to film polling processes, including any cases of violence, to encourage compliance and ensure accountability.<\/p>\n

Despite the innovative use of technology and social media by the opposition, power still firmly lies with the ruling party, as evidenced by the widespread internet shutdowns Uganda is currently facing.<\/p>\n

There have been reports<\/a> in the lead-up to the election that the government has prevented the UVote app from being downloaded in Uganda. Wine\u2019s party has urged people to use virtual private networks to get around the government\u2019s restrictions, but the Uganda Communications Commission recently ordered<\/a> app stores to block access to more than 100 VPN apps.<\/p>\n

Many voters will find ways around these measures. However, the issue remains that the UVote app\u2019s effectiveness as an accountability measure is dependent on it having as many users as possible.<\/p>\n

On 12 January, the communications commission issued a letter<\/a> to internet service providers ordering them to block all social media platforms and messaging apps \u2018until further notice\u2019. This is not the first time the Ugandan government has sought to block access to online platforms during an election. Votes on election day in 2016 were counted under a country-wide social media ban and internet blackout.<\/p>\n

The Ugandan government has also demonstrated its ability to wield power over more than just internet service providers, as revealed by a Wall Street Journal<\/a> <\/em>article on its use of spyware against Wine in 2019. In that effort it was reportedly assisted by Huawei.<\/p>\n

Overall, though, Wine and his party have succeeded in using social media and technology to amass support and promote democratic values such as access to information. While it\u2019s not yet clear whether this will secure real-life votes and accountability for this election, it has undoubtedly set in motion a path to democracy for young Ugandans.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Uganda is heading to the polls today, after a heated campaign between the East African nation\u2019s president, Yoweri Museveni (aged 76), and opposition frontrunner Robert Kyagulanyi (38), known more commonly by his stage name, Bobi …<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1133,"featured_media":61830,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mi_skip_tracking":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[177,106,753,224,2960],"class_list":["post-61828","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-africa","tag-democracy","tag-election","tag-social-media","tag-uganda"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nTechnology helping, and hindering, Uganda\u2019s election | The Strategist<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Technology helping, and hindering, Uganda\u2019s election | The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Uganda is heading to the polls today, after a heated campaign between the East African nation\u2019s president, Yoweri Museveni (aged 76), and opposition frontrunner Robert Kyagulanyi (38), known more commonly by his stage name, Bobi ...\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Strategist\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2021-01-14T04:05:07+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2021-01-14T04:06:46+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1229891453.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1024\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"683\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Emilia Currey\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@ASPI_org\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Emilia Currey\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\",\"name\":\"The Strategist\",\"description\":\"ASPI's analysis and commentary site\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\"},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1229891453.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1229891453.jpg\",\"width\":1024,\"height\":683,\"caption\":\"TOPSHOT - Ugandan musician-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine (C), greets supporters as he sets off on his campaign trail towards eastern Uganda, near Kayunga, on December 1, 2020. - Bobi Wine is concluding his campaign rallies all over the country in preparation for the upcoming 2021 elections, where he will be challenging Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for 35 years. (Photo by Sumy Sadurni \/ AFP) (Photo by SUMY SADURNI\/AFP via Getty Images)\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/\",\"name\":\"Technology helping, and hindering, Uganda\u2019s election | The Strategist\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/#primaryimage\"},\"datePublished\":\"2021-01-14T04:05:07+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2021-01-14T04:06:46+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/3011b245e331899108948842c15e0ed8\"},\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Technology helping, and hindering, Uganda\u2019s election\"}]},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/3011b245e331899108948842c15e0ed8\",\"name\":\"Emilia Currey\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-AU\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f94901a1205a46ef798348f870da847e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f94901a1205a46ef798348f870da847e?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Emilia Currey\"},\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/author\/emilia-currey\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"Technology helping, and hindering, Uganda\u2019s election | The Strategist","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"Technology helping, and hindering, Uganda\u2019s election | The Strategist","og_description":"Uganda is heading to the polls today, after a heated campaign between the East African nation\u2019s president, Yoweri Museveni (aged 76), and opposition frontrunner Robert Kyagulanyi (38), known more commonly by his stage name, Bobi ...","og_url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/","og_site_name":"The Strategist","article_publisher":"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/ASPI.org","article_published_time":"2021-01-14T04:05:07+00:00","article_modified_time":"2021-01-14T04:06:46+00:00","og_image":[{"width":1024,"height":683,"url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1229891453.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Emilia Currey","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@ASPI_org","twitter_site":"@ASPI_org","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Emilia Currey","Est. reading time":"4 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/","name":"The Strategist","description":"ASPI's analysis and commentary site","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-AU"},{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/#primaryimage","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1229891453.jpg","contentUrl":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/GettyImages-1229891453.jpg","width":1024,"height":683,"caption":"TOPSHOT - Ugandan musician-turned-politician Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine (C), greets supporters as he sets off on his campaign trail towards eastern Uganda, near Kayunga, on December 1, 2020. - Bobi Wine is concluding his campaign rallies all over the country in preparation for the upcoming 2021 elections, where he will be challenging Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power for 35 years. (Photo by Sumy Sadurni \/ AFP) (Photo by SUMY SADURNI\/AFP via Getty Images)"},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/","url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/","name":"Technology helping, and hindering, Uganda\u2019s election | The Strategist","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#website"},"primaryImageOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/#primaryimage"},"datePublished":"2021-01-14T04:05:07+00:00","dateModified":"2021-01-14T04:06:46+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/3011b245e331899108948842c15e0ed8"},"breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-AU","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/technology-helping-and-hindering-ugandas-election\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Technology helping, and hindering, Uganda\u2019s election"}]},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/3011b245e331899108948842c15e0ed8","name":"Emilia Currey","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-AU","@id":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f94901a1205a46ef798348f870da847e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/f94901a1205a46ef798348f870da847e?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"Emilia Currey"},"url":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/author\/emilia-currey\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61828"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1133"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=61828"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61828\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":61845,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/61828\/revisions\/61845"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/61830"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=61828"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=61828"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.aspistrategist.ru\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=61828"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}