Museveni: Internet should be owned by Gov't, not private companies

President Yoweri Museveni now says that internet infrastructure should not be owned or dominated by private companies, saying government control is necessary to keep the costs low for citizens.

Speaking during a press briefing, Museveni stated that private ownership often encourages monopolies as the companies are driven by profit rather than national interest. 

This, according to the Ugandan President, makes connectivity unnecessarily expensive for citizens.

"The internet should not be owned by private people…because when the internet is owned by business people, especially if they monopolise it, they are after money, that's why the backbone (should be) owned by the government," he stated. 

To remedy this, Museveni opined that the State must maintain authority over core internet systems to guarantee affordable access. 

He noted that while private providers play a role in offering services, they should not control essential transmission lines.

Museveni linked his argument to the broader evolution of technology, recalling his own experience during Uganda’s liberation struggle to illustrate how digital tools have transformed operations.

“It is true that internet and electronics have helped us to do things much faster because when we were fighting in the early days, I had to use my eyes to estimate how far the enemy was so that I could adjust my gun sight to shoot properly,” he said. “These days, with laser, it tells me exactly where the target is. I don’t have to calculate.”

The President said such technological advancement underscores why the government must secure key digital infrastructure.

“For the internet, we need low-cost transmission so that it doesn’t become expensive,” he said, reaffirming his administration’s commitment to lowering data costs across the country.

Museveni, who has been in power since 1986, is seeking to run for a record seventh term. Among his key projects is the laying of fibre cables across Uganda to enable high-speed internet. 

In 2024, he launched Phase V of the National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI) that involves adding 5,845 kilometers of fibre cables to the current 4,387 kilometers already laid. 

During the launch, Museveni noted that the project would reduce the cost of doing business and support government programs. 

“The NBI will connect all administrative units and facilitate access to critical e-services, education, healthcare, and business opportunities, driving national development,” he stated at the time.