Facebook has reportedly shut down over 50 accounts managed by persons affiliated to Uganda’s ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) party, days before the East African goes to the polls.
The development was confirmed by the country’s senior presidential press secretary Don Wanyama.
He also accused the social networking app’s managers of aiding the removal of long-serving president Yoweri Museveni, who is seeking to extend his three and a half-decade stint at State House.
“Shame on the foreign forces that think they can aid and plant a puppet leadership on Uganda by disabling online accounts of NRM supporters. You won’t take away President Kaguta Museveni,” Wanyama tweeted.
Some of the deleted pages include those of presidential adviser Jennifer Nakangubi aka Full Figure, socialite Ismah Olaxess and events promoter Bajjo.
And as the allegations continued to fly around, a well-known blogger namely Ashburg Kato, alleged Facebook had been advised by opposition leader Robert Kyagulkanyi aka Bobi Wine’s ‘aides’ to delete these accounts.
“Facebook itself deleted our accounts on the request of Bobi Wine’s handlers,” Kato tweeted.
Kato also urged Museveni to retaliate and shut down Facebook.
“We request President Kaguta Museveni to shut down the entire Facebook in Uganda,” Kato said.
Bobi Wine’s allies have denied these allegations and Facebook is yet to confirm on the matter.
The move also comes days after Facebook also temporarily suspended the account of US outgoing President Donald Trump.
