Beyond the Grid: Open-Source Communication and Bitcoin in Uganda’s Election
On Tuesday, January 14, at approximately 6:00 p.m. (EAT), internet access across Uganda was suspended following a directive from the 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) headquarters, the effects were 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, while 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 through 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 functioning during the blackout. Afan used it to remain connected 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 through 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 demonstrated that in a mostly cash-based system, simple tools operating outside formal channels can still allow people to move money when banks and digital systems stop functioning.
Thoughts & Reflections
Africa’s recurring moments of disruption continue to underline why decentralized tools such as Bitcoin and its related technologies matter. They demonstrate the practicality of remaining 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 repeatedly shown resilience in the face of repression and infrastructure failure.
The lesson is not to wait for the next shutdown before experimenting with alternatives, but to build familiarity before moments of crisis arrive.
Adoption should be driven by usefulness rather than popularity, and by systems that continue to function when conditions are least forgiving.
Communities should focus on everyday practices: building around tools like bitchat and transacting daily with systems such as Machankura, sustaining networks that remain operational even under constraint. The usefulness of these technologies under real conditions becomes a collective incentive for wider adoption.
