Uganda blocks internet access ahead of general election

Uganda blocked internet access ahead of this week’s presidential election, as octogenarian Yoweri Museveni seeks to extend his four-decade rule.

Authorities in Kampala said the blackout would prevent the “weaponization of the internet” ahead of Thursday’s vote, but critics say the move is intended to weaken potential protests if the election results are contested.

Though opposition candidate and pop singer Bobi Wine has built a large following among Uganda’s young population, experts say Museveni — who has ruled with an iron fist since 1986 — looks set to win a seventh presidential term. Regardless, Wine has vowed to fight on: “They’ll see me broken but they’ll never see me give up,” he told The New York Times.