By Spy Uganda
Kampala: President Yoweri Museveni has broken the hearts of many of his party’s bloggers after revealing that the limitation on access to Facebook will not stop the most important things from happening in Uganda.
READ ALSO: Facebook Disables Accounts Of State House Officials, NRM Bloggers & Mobilizers Ahead Of Polls
Museveni made the remarks while speaking to a section of youths who were part of a group that campaigned for him and the NRM party using social media platforms.
The youths led by Duncan Abigaba, the Deputy Director of the Government Citizens Interaction Centre (GCIC) and Mathew Bagonza had paid a courtesy visit to the President at State House Entebbe on Saturday.
In January polls, Facebook shut down accounts belonging to some government officials and NRM bloggers accusing them of seeking to manipulate public debate amidst elections.
READ ALSO: UCC Sets Deadline For Online Media,Bloggers To Get License Or Face Closure
The actions of the California-based giant technology company affected many people that were earning from the closed accounts and as a way of looking for the solution, they asked to meet President Museveni when he merged as the victor in the 2021 elections.
In their meeting with the President, he told them that Uganda will go on without Facebook’s support adding that after all the tech giant has been not contributing anything to Uganda.
Museveni’s reaction was sparked off by Mr. Abigaba who asked the President to look into the possibility of appointing a body that caters for diplomacy issues concerning giant tech companies.
“Your Excellency, many of us, including myself, are unable to access our Facebook accounts, not that lam devastated I take it as a badge of honor for fighting negative propaganda against this government. Your Excellency some countries have already done this, we request that you appoint someone to cater for digital diplomacy for our country,” he said.
However, President Museveni asked them to stop lamenting and focus on other things that can improve their lives.
“Ever since Facebook closed your accounts and pages have you heard of any shortage of sugar in town? Don’t you have clothes? Facebook will talk, but we shall move, they are not God,” he said.
READ ALSO: Facebook Blocks More Pro-Museveni Accounts Over Spreading Hate Speeches & Impersonation
He said that tech giants acted with bias against accounts of pro-NRM people.
“We see how they are biased when they deleted our people’s accounts basing on their discriminating standards. You cannot say these were doing wrong, what about the other group that has been spreading all forms of wrong information and inciting our people? But what I heard is that God is omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient and I have never heard that Facebook fits in the same category,” Museveni said.
