The digital darkness that has shrouded Uganda for weeks has finally lifted. General Muhoozi Kainerugaba, the Chief of Defence Forces and First Son, has announced the immediate restoration of all social media platforms, including Facebook and TikTok, following the conclusion of the contentious January general elections. The move ends a controversial blackout that the state claimed was necessary to "curb misinformation" but which critics slammed as a draconian tool of suppression.

The announcement was made via—ironically—X (formerly Twitter), signaling a return to business as usual for the "Tweeting General." The ban had been imposed days before the polls, cutting off millions of Ugandans from communication and crippling the digital economy.

"Peace Has Returned"

"The security situation is now stable. The enemies of peace who sought to use these platforms to sow chaos have been defeated," Gen. Muhoozi stated. "We open the digital space so that our youth can go back to work and build the nation."

The lifting of the ban comes with caveats, however. The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has warned that it will be monitoring online activity closely under the Computer Misuse Act.

• The Economic Cost: Analysts estimate the blackout cost the Ugandan economy millions of dollars daily, hitting e-commerce traders and gig workers hardest.
• The Political Context: The ban was widely seen as a strategy to stifle the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP), whose mobilizing power relies heavily on social media.
• International Pressure: The decision also follows intense diplomatic pressure from the US and EU, who had raised concerns about the fairness of an election held in an information vacuum.

A New Normal?

For the youth of Kampala, the return of connectivity is a relief, but the scars remain. "We are happy to be back online, but we know the switch can be flicked off again at any time," said Sarah Nalugo, an online vendor. "It is hard to run a business when the government holds your internet connection hostage."

As the VPNs are switched off and direct connections resume, the question remains whether this is a genuine step towards openness or merely a tactical pause by a regime that has mastered the art of digital authoritarianism.