Twitter, FaceBook, Technology, and 2011 Ugandan Elections

By Kato Mivule | June 23, 2009

The Elections in Iran not only caught the eyes of the local Iranians but the world has watched with awe as local Iranians bypassed all impediments to freely express themselves and the choice of their candidates without fear and trepidations of the Mullahs and Religious Theocrats who rule Iran with fear and terror.

Twitter Logo

Technology has left no doubt that dictatorial Governments cannot put the freedom of choice and expression by the masses to silence. Iranians took to the streets to campaign vigorously for their candidates of choice and employed Technology such as Twitter and FaceBook to express their choice of leadership.

However, the dictatorial regime of the Theocrats placed a ban on all Internet Media Outlets and also clamped down on the use of Cell Phones and Satellite TV net works.

Twitter

Yet still the courageous Iranians found ways to bypass the Internet and Technological blockades placed by the Theocratic regime and shared their stories to a worldwide audience via the internet on sites such as Twitter and FaceBook.

With the Iranian Election being marred by large scale cheating and theft of votes, Iranian citizens took to the streets to protest while documenting events and using Technology via the internet to share their stories with to the rest of the world despite the Internet Blockage by the Theocrats.

One thing that the Iranian Government could not do and that is largely beyond their control, is that they cannot control the Internet…they cannot pull the plug on the Internet and that is a very good thing. They can control access and Transit to and through their Iranian Domain but cannot control the web.

The Iranian Lessons are certainly being studied by Ugandan Politicians especially the young generation. There is a huge growing discontent in Uganda’s Social Political Set up and most folks are tired of the current Museveni Administration that they see as full of nepotism, favoritism, and outright corruption and theft of Uganda’s resources.

Yet Uganda’s Opposition Political Groups are still disorganized, disunited, lazy, and always procrastinating… However, 2011 is not that far and they could borrow a leaf from the Iranian citizens on how best to employ internet technology to advance their causes.

President Museveni faces similar Iranian Government challenges in Uganda come 2011, a young well educated generation, discontent among the populace, poverty, harsh economic times, advanced Internet Technology, wide Cell Phone subscription, wide Satellite subscription, and a populace hungry for change.

Yet still, there is one thing that President Museveni cannot control, and that is growing advanced Technology. It is something that his party cannot contain but the well educated young opposition politicians in Uganda can take advantage of.

However, Ugandan Opposition Politicians had better start acting now, they had better start coming up with innovative ways to employ technology in an aggressive and antagonistic political climate. They must find ways to keep their documentation alive in an environment where the political persecution is the order of the day.

Yes, President Museveni is not sleeping, he is thinking about how best to deny access to Cell Phones, Satellite TV, Internet Access, Twitter, FaceBook and other Technologies comes 2011, and Ugandan Opposition Activists must stop procrastinating and wake up to the challenge and perhaps hire Technology Officers for their Campaigns if they ever want to at least beat a ‘Clever’ President Museveni in 2011.