President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has revealed that the government is considering reopening Facebook in Uganda, more than five years after the platform was blocked.
Facebook, once one of the most dominant social media and business platforms in the country, was shut down ahead of the 2021 general elections. Since then, many Ugandans have relied on VPNs to access it, while digital entrepreneurs have continuously urged the government to restore the service due to its impact on online business.
Speaking in an interview on the Unstoppable UG Podcast over the weekend, President Museveni confirmed that discussions are underway to evaluate how Facebook can be restored under new terms.
“We shall study that (on reopening Facebook) because I had to teach them a lesson, because they thought that without Facebook Uganda would disappear. But Uganda is thriving. The cows are going home and coming back. We had to make it clear that they can’t stop us. We are unstoppable,” Museveni said.
The President emphasized that the platform was previously operating in disagreement with government policies, and reopening it would require clear guidelines.
His remarks come at a time when many Ugandans—especially youth engaging in online business—have intensified calls for the government to lift the ban to support digital entrepreneurship and economic growth.