President Yoweri Museveni has renewed debate over who should control a country’s main internet systems, saying governments must take charge of backbone infrastructure to keep data costs within reach for the public.
He said placing these networks under private control encourages profit-driven practices that make internet use too costly for ordinary citizens.
During a briefing on Wednesday, Museveni explained that when essential digital channels are left to business operators, they often end up dictating prices in ways that strain households and limit growth. He said the State should oversee the primary infrastructure while allowing private companies to operate on top of it.
"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.
Museveni said this approach is necessary to maintain fair pricing and protect the public from what he described as monopoly-style behaviour.
He added that private firms will still have a place in offering services but should not control the framework that keeps the entire system running.
To support his argument, he reflected on how technology has shifted over the years and recalled how slow and manual processes once shaped daily operations.
He pointed to his own experience during Uganda’s liberation, saying the modern digital world has reshaped the way tasks are carried out.
“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.”
According to Museveni, these advancements show why governments must protect crucial digital channels and ensure they remain affordable. He noted that high internet charges hold back development, saying his administration is focused on keeping transmission costs low.
“For the internet, we need low-cost transmission so that it doesn’t become expensive,” he added.
Museveni has made connectivity one of his central plans as he seeks another term in office. His government has been expanding the fibre network across the country in an effort to widen access.
In 2024, he launched Phase V of the National Backbone Infrastructure (NBI), which will add 5,845 kilometres of fibre to the existing 4,387 kilometres already in place.
At the launch, he said the project would help government offices, schools, hospitals and businesses take advantage of digital services.
“The NBI will connect all administrative units and facilitate access to critical e-services, education, healthcare, and business opportunities, driving national development,” he said at the time.
