KAMPALA, 4 December 2025 — Despite an official ban on Facebook that has been in place since 2021, the platform continues to operate in Uganda — and in a twist of irony, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has now admitted to going live on Facebook, while reaffirming that the ban may yet stay.
In a recent interview released on 1 December 2025, Museveni — speaking during a youth outreach segment of his “Unstoppable UG” campaign — said the government is considering reopening Facebook, though under new terms meant to ensure compliance. How We Uganda+1
No Decree Needed: Ugandans Access Facebook Daily Despite Official Restrictions
“We shall study that (on reopening Facebook) because I had to teach them a lesson, because they thought that without Facebook Uganda would disappear,” Museveni said. “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.” How We Uganda
The admission comes amid mounting frustration from citizens — especially digital entrepreneurs, small-business owners, and youth — who have navigated around the ban using Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), keeping Facebook alive as a critical space for commerce, community and social interaction. Nilepost News+2Techpoint Africa+2
Facebook Operates Freely in Uganda as Citizens Bypass Ban and Demand Digital Rights
Museveni reiterated that the 2021 ban was meant to discipline Facebook after what his government viewed as unfair censorship: the platform had recently taken down a number of accounts linked to the ruling party before crucial elections. Anadolu Ajansı+2Wikipedia+2
At the time of the ban, Museveni complained that “arrogant” foreign companies should not dictate who is “good” or “bad” in Uganda. He insisted any platform operating in the country must be used equitably — or not at all. Anadolu Ajansı+1
Ugandans Prove Facebook Is Still Alive—With or Without Government Approval
Yet, as of late 2025, many Ugandans continue to access Facebook via VPNs or private internet channels — a reality that has turned the formal ban into what critics call a “ban in name only.” Freedom House+2Nilepost News+2
For small businesses and online traders, this unofficial reopening has economic significance. According to digital-commerce advocates, the shutdown has cost millions of shillings as merchants lost clients, struggled to reach customers, or paid extra to circumvent the ban. The Observer+2Techpoint Africa+2
Still, the government has so far resisted calls from civil-society groups and commerce associations to declare a formal lifting of the ban. The official line remains that Facebook will be reopened only “when they are ready.” Monitor+1
Now, with Museveni’s recent remarks hinting at possible reconsideration — while also boasting that Uganda “survived without” Facebook — the tension between official policy and popular practice has grown sharper than ever.
Reality Defies the Ban: Facebook Remains Central to Uganda’s Social and Economic Life
Whether this signals a genuine shift or another round of delayed promises will depend on whether regulators formally lift the ban — or whether Facebook’s underground use becomes de facto acknowledged.
