The East African
Monday February 01 2021
Electoral commission officials direct voters at a polling station in Kampala, Uganda, on January 14, 2021. PHOTO | AFP
Summary
In the 2016 Internet shutdown, it was reported that Uganda lost close to $2 million for each day the country was off the web.
This time, with the massive shift online fuelled by the Covid-19 and shutdowns, and growth in the digital economy, the losses have been big.
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Ahead of the January 14 election, Uganda shuttered the Internet, lifting them after almost five days.
An earlier blockage of social media is now in its third week. In the 2016 Internet shutdown, it was reported that Uganda lost close to $2 million for each day the country was off the web.
Internet shutdown for Uganda election Citizens now wait for business to return to normal 21 January 2021 - 17:24 Nita Bhalla and Alice McCool Uganda s President Yoweri Museveni. Picture: REUTERS/ARND WIEGMANN
Nairobi/Kampala When Uganda ordered an internet shutdown on the eve of the presidential election, groundnut seller Susan Tafumba’s trade collapsed.
The 34-year-old sells groundnuts at Kampala’s Nakawa market, but much of her business now comes through a mobile phone app that customers use to order goods to be delivered to them by motorcycle taxis.
“Usually the app gets us more profit than those people who come daily to the market, but we lost customers,” said Tafumba, one of countless small traders whose livelihoods were hit by the shutdown.
Daily Monitor
Tuesday January 19 2021
Summary
In an earlier interview last week, Mr Peter Kawumi, the chairperson of Financial Technology and Service Providers Association, told Daily Monitor that on a daily basis 300 million transactions are carried out by means of Fintech system alone in the country.
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The Internet shutdown that started on January 13 has caused huge losses as businesses, government agencies, organisations and web-based operations such as e-tax payments were disrupted for five days.
The State action has been described as inconsiderate due to the modern ways of conducting business through e-commerce.
On the eve of the election, government shut down Internet citing security reasons during the elections for President and Members of Parliament.
Daily Monitor
Friday January 15 2021
Close to Shs66.6b, which is transacted through Fintechs on a daily basis, is now locked up due to a shutdown of the Internet. PHOTO | FILE
Summary
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Financial Technology companies also known as Fintechs have said they expect to lose at least Shs66.6b on a daily basis after government shut down the Internet on Wednesday.
The loss is expected to affect a wide range of Fintech operations, many of which support financial transactions, spreading to banks, telecoms (mobile money) and insurance companies.
Finetech provide an enabling system for financial service providers through which they move money.