Uganda faces ‘digital illusion,’ says presidential aspirant Ssemugenyi, warning of ‘digital suffocation’ over democracy
Appearing on NTV Uganda's morning show, Dr. Ssemugenyi warned that the country risked substituting genuine digital democracy with sophisticated mechanisms of "digital control," citing the history of internet shutdowns and the high cost of connectivity.
Presidential aspirant and political strategist Dr. Denis Daniel Ssemugenyi has sharply criticized the state of Uganda’s digital political landscape, arguing that the nation is suffering from a fundamental paradox: being “digitally vibrant, yet economically fragile.”
Appearing on NTV Uganda’s morning show, Dr. Ssemugenyi warned that the country risked substituting genuine digital democracy with sophisticated mechanisms of “digital control,” citing the history of internet shutdowns and the high cost of connectivity.
“The question is, have we built a digital democracy or just digital control?” Ssemugenyi posed, insisting that the true digital era must expand access, not silence it.
The Paradox of Digital Vibrancy
Dr. Ssemugenyi outlined the dichotomy fueling his concerns. On one hand, Uganda exhibits impressive digital metrics: over 52 million mobile money registrations processing transactions valued up to 80 trillion shillings in a single quarter. Yet, this vibrancy clashes starkly with widespread economic exclusion.
He noted that nearly 74% of people aged 10 and above are considered illiterate, and rural poverty remains close to 19%.
“We are digitally vibrant, yet economically fragile. Data costs remain high, and only a fraction of rural youth can afford stable internet,” he stated. “Digital inclusion without economic inclusion is illusion.”
From Digital Activism to Digital Suffocation
Ssemugenyi traced the evolution of digital campaigning in Uganda, noting how early movements used basic SMS texting (2006) and Facebook (2011) to organize protests like the ‘Walk-to-Work’ demonstrations, often broadcasting live before mainstream media coverage.
However, he argued, this evolution culminated in state control, particularly during the 2021 elections.
“In 2016 and 2021, this took us into the hashtag campaigns… but also shutdowns of those very platforms at critical moments,” he recalled, referring to the infamous internet blackouts days before voting. “That’s not digitization, that’s digital suffocation.”
Policy Solutions: Internet as a Public Good
As a presidential aspirant, Dr. Ssemugenyi proposed specific policy interventions aimed at closing the digital divide and democratizing access. His central proposal is to classify internet access as a “public good” rather than a luxury.
“We need deliberate policy to make data a civic utility,” he emphasized. This includes introducing tax incentives for telecommunication companies that provide “zero-rated civic content” (meaning essential democratic information is free to access) and integrating comprehensive digital literacy into secondary and community education.
The Rise of ‘Entertainment Politics’
Dr. Ssemugenyi also delivered a scathing critique of modern political campaigning, which he believes social media has devolved into “entertainment politics.”
He cautioned against the “double-edged sword” of social media, questioning if the tools are informing or deceiving voters. “Digital fame is not digital faith,” Ssemugenyi asserted. “Many politicians chase likes instead of livelihoods.”
He lamented that the “algorithm decides what the citizens believe,” often leading to outrageous clips overshadowing critical policy debates on agriculture, taxation, healthcare, and unemployment. He called for efforts to restore balance, demanding that politicians make “trending synonymous with transformative.”
Demands for Electoral Transparency
Turning his attention to institutional accountability, Dr. Ssemugenyi demanded greater transparency from the Electoral Commission (EC) regarding its digitized electoral processes.
While elections are often described as “computerized,” Ssemugenyi questioned what this means in practice.
“Does the Electoral Commission have a digital signature verification system? If yes, why can’t the public and the media access it?” he demanded. He noted that independent candidates often face undue delays and a lack of feedback—a scenario unheard of in established democracies.
He stressed that transparency must be the “campaign’s backbone” to comply with constitutional mandates, citing Article 21 (equality) and Article 38 (participation).
“Uganda’s democracy cannot be digitized if it’s not democratized,” Dr. Ssemugenyi concluded.
