Bobi Wine begs Musk to restore Starlink in Uganda

Bobi Wine is begging Elon Musk for internet access before a high-stakes election. The opposition figure claimed that disabling Starlink terminals aids President Yoweri Museveni in keeping power. Wine insisted that blocking connectivity hurts democratic efforts to unseat the long-serving leader. He argued that citizens need open communication channels to fight against alleged mass persecution.

Musk’s company apparently caved to regulator pressure just before the vote. Market Access Director Ben MacWilliams wrote to the Uganda Communications Commission confirming that they bricked all devices. The letter clarified that the satellite firm holds no license to operate within Ugandan borders.

MacWilliams explained that users had bought hardware in authorized regions before smuggling it inside. He stated that a new technical block wiped out all active connections at the start of the year. The executive emphasized that using these kits violated service terms completely.

This situation contrasts sharply with neighboring Kenya, where the administration embraced satellite tech. President William Ruto previously joked that Safaricom executives disliked the added rivalry. Elon Musk then posted on X that external pressure forces local providers to step up their game.