ISTANBUL 

Uganda’s suspension of 10 non-governmental organizations and restrictions on internet access ahead of Thursday’s elections are “deeply worrying,” the UN human rights office said on Wednesday.

“All Ugandans must be able to take part in shaping their future & the future of their country,” the rights office said on US social media company X.

It underlined the importance of open access to communication and information for “free & genuine elections.”

According to a Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) notification dated Tuesday, the regulator ordered a “temporary suspension” of public internet access and selected mobile services during the election period.

The regulator said the suspension, which began at 6 pm local time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday, was intended to “safeguard public safety, critical national functions, and the operational integrity of communications infrastructure.”

In a post on X on Wednesday, the UCC said the move followed a recommendation from the Inter-Agency Security Committee and applied to all licensed operators.

“This measure was taken to mitigate the rapid spread of misinformation and disinformation, curb risks of electoral fraud, and prevent incitement to violence, all of which could undermine public order, national security and the integrity of the electoral process,” it added.

The regulator also acknowledged the “inconvenience this temporary measure is likely to cause.”

The East African nation will head to polls on Thursday to choose a president and members of parliament.

President Yoweri Museveni, 81, who has been in power since 1986, is seeking a seventh term and faces seven challengers, including opposition leader Robert Kyagulanyi, known as Bobi Wine.