Uganda government orders the shut down of social media ahead of Presidential election

Ahead of the presidential election billed for Thursday in Uganda, the country's communication regulator has ordered that all social media and messaging applications be shut down.

In what is predicted to be a highly-charged election,  veteran leader Yoweri Museveni is seeking a sixth term against popstar-turned-MP Bobi Wine, who has managed to fire up a youthful population that has mostly known only one president.

Bobi Wine - who is 38, is quite popular in the country. Still, only few nurture the belief that he can upset Museveni, a 76-year-old former rebel leader who has ruled since 1986 and effectively crushed any opposition.

According to the report, Facebook, WhatsApp and Twitter were down in the East African nation on Tuesday, after the communications regulator ordered a social media shutdown.

In a letter obtained by AFP, Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) executive director Irene Sewankambo ordered telecommunications companies to "immediately suspend any access and use" of social media and online messaging platforms.

There is a speculation that the move was a retaliation for Facebook deleting pro-government accounts for seeking to manipulate public debate ahead of the election.