On Tuesday, January 14, at approximately 6:00 p.m. (EAT)., internet access across Uganda was suspended. The suspension followed a directive from Uganda Communications Commission ahead of the presidential elections. Internet-dependent services including email, web browsing, and popular messaging applications, stopped functioning nationwide.
Financial access was also limited. Mobile money withdrawals were disabled, and transfer limits were capped at 1.5 million Ugandan shillings (≈$300).
For Afan Babu Sabila, a Ugandan Bitcoiner living in Makerere, less than 3 kilometers from the opposition National Unity Platform (NUP) head office, the shutdown was immediate.
Communication during the Shutdown: Bitchat
“Once it hit 6 p.m., everything went off…You couldn’t browse, you couldn’t email, you couldn’t video call.” Afan said.
With the internet turned off, non-internet-based services remained functional. Voice calls were possible but inconsistent. SMS became the primary coordination method. In this environment bitchat became an alternative. Bitchat is a Bluetooth-based messaging application that allows nearby phones to communicate via Bluetooth mesh networking, without internet access.
Prior to the elections, bitchat gained wider attention after being referenced by opposition leader Bobi Wine.
Despite claims that the state could shut down bitchat, it continued working during the shutdown. Afan used it to stay in touch with nearby colleagues: “I personally used it. It worked,” he said.
Transacting without Internet Access: Machankura
“People had cash, but it was useless”
Uganda’s economy remains heavily anchored in cash transactions, so when the internet shutdown disrupted digital payment systems, financial access tightened. In that gap, Bitcoin via Machankura remained usable, operating through an SMS line: +256 744 830 624.
As Afan observed, “Machankura… was the only Bitcoin-related method I saw that worked.”
While unrest and fear disrupted commerce, the episode showed that in a mostly cash-based system, basic tools that operate outside formal channels can still allow people to move money when banks and digital systems stop working.
Thoughts & Reflections
Our recurring challenges continue to underline why we must adopt decentralized tools such as bitcoin and its related technologies. They show the practicality of staying connected and transacting outside formal systems when those systems fail.
Today’s account is Uganda’s elections. Yesterday, it was #EndSARS in Nigeria and #RejectFinanceBill in Kenya. Across these moments, Bitcoin has shown resilience in the face of repression. The lesson is not to wait for the next shutdown to experiment with alternatives, but to build familiarity before the moment of need. Adoption should be driven by usefulness, not popularity, and by systems that continue to serve people when conditions are least forgiving. Communities should focus on everyday practices: building on tools like bitchat, and transacting daily with the Machankuras, sustaining networks that work even under constraint. The usefulness of these tools in real conditions becomes a collective incentive.
