Opposition leader Bobi Wine promotes Bitchat ahead of the 2026 elections to counter potential internet blackouts.
Uganda’s political landscape is gearing up for the 2026 presidential elections. Bobi Wine, a leading figure in the Ugandan opposition, is actively encouraging citizens to download Bitchat, the decentralized peer-to-peer messaging app developed by Jack Dorsey. The initiative stems from concerns that the government may once again block access to the internet and social media during the electoral period.
Recent Ugandan history provides several precedents: in 2016 and 2021, during election periods, President Yoweri Museveni ordered a nationwide shutdown of internet access and social media platforms. According to the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network, these measures were justified by the government on grounds of national security and public order.
On December 30, Wine voiced his concerns in a post on X, warning that similar strategies could be repeated ahead of the January 15, 2026 presidential election. According to the opposition leader, internet shutdowns are used to prevent citizens from organizing, verifying election results, and demanding transparency over alleged electoral fraud.
Wine argues that Bitchat will make it possible to communicate with “thousands of people in record time” and to share “critical information with specific users or others” throughout the electoral process.
The impact of Wine’s appeal was immediate and measurable. Google Trends data show that searches for “Bitchat” in Uganda surged from zero to 100 on December 31, the day after the politician’s call. Among the most searched related queries were “Bitchat apk download” and “how to use Bitchat,” both labeled as “breakout topics” due to the dramatic increase in activity.
According to Chrome-Stats, since its launch the Bitchat app has been downloaded 936,104 times, with more than 4,252 downloads in the past day and over 32,524 in the past week.
Last week, Reuters reported on the existence of a government memorandum aimed at restricting the import of Elon Musk’s Starlink equipment.
According to the Pan-African Human Rights Defenders Network, social media blackouts primarily affect political opposition groups, which rely on these platforms to organize campaigns and demonstrations.
Bobi Wine leads the National Unity Platform political party and previously challenged Museveni in the 2021 presidential election, where he was defeated. The opposition leader maintains that the vote was rigged—claims rejected by Museveni, who has ruled Uganda continuously since 1986.
Interest in Bitchat is not limited to Uganda. In September, Madagascar also recorded a spike in app downloads during protests. Similar situations were observed in Nepal and Indonesia during the same period.
