Barely two days after Presidents, Yoweri Kaguta Museveni and Paul Kagame signed a peace pact in Angola, Kigali has in unprecedented twist of events blocked access to all Ugandan online news sites perceived as Anti-Rwanda.
The decision by President Kagame’s government was undertaken Thursday without a clear explanation by the regime.
Earlier Thursday, State owned media house, The New Times published an article faulting Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) of issuing an order to block access to its website on internet.
An official in Kigali however, revealed that Ugandan news sites like TrumptNews which had earlier been blocked were unblocked before New Times ran its article.
Hours later, government issued an order through Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA) to all internet service providers to again block any Ugandan websites which have in the recent past have published an article perceived as harmful propaganda.
Among the affected webistes include, TrumpetNews, Softpower, Chimpreports, New Vision, Daily Monitor, The Observer, The independent, Nile Post and many more.
“Basically everything Ugandan is inaccessible without a proxy,” said a source.
According to our source in Kigali that wished not to be named only one website edge.ug was could be accessed.
No official in Kigali was willing to comment on the matter.
But our sources say, the websites are being faulted for peddling lies and malicious information against Rwanda.
Earlier Friday, Frank Tumwebaze Uganda’s Information Minister responded to SoftPower that, “our respective communication regulators, in pursuit of Angola spirit are in touch to discuss & resolve these issues. The point of contention is that no publication on either side should propagate hostilities.”
Unlike Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) which confirmed it had blocked New Times, Kigali remains tight-lipped.
Whether blocking Ugandan websites was a response to UCC, only Kigali can substantiate.
UCC publicist on Thursday said the Rwandan paper had continued to publish ‘harmful propaganda’ against Uganda.
TrumpetNews authoritatively reports that apart from New Vision, government of Uganda has no stake in other websites which Kigali openly accused of peddling propaganda against its President yet Kagame’s establishment owns and funds a string of online outlets that have over the months attacked President Museveni using abusive and demeaning statements.
Igehe, Rushasya, Virunga Post and New Times are among the outlets owned by the State and Intelligence Services that consistently ran a fake news campaign against Uganda.
