Museveni Vows Not to Reopen Facebook in Uganda Unless They 'Stop Playing Games'

Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni says Facebook will remain suspended in the country unless the company complies with his demands.

In a social media post on Friday following a meeting with media representatives and journalists, Museveni said his administration is ready to lift the suspension if the US social media giant addresses their demands.

"We have our problems with Facebook and we have expressed them. If they are worked on, we have no problems opening Facebook," he wrote on Twitter.

Facebook was suspended in Uganda in January last year after the government accused the company of failing to control hate speech and lies spewed online during the election, which caused a rift between Ugandans.

Several accounts belonging to members of Museveni-led National Resistance Movement (NRM) were suspended after being suspected to be fake. Museveni has demanded the accounts be reinstated but Facebook has not complied. 

Museveni has insisted that the stalemate between the government and Facebook will not impede progress in the nation.

"Facebook are arrogant. They were being used to attack us. When our own people tried to answer back they shut us. It has been two years since Facebook was chased out of Uganda. When I checked, boda bodas and taxis were still moving [in absence of Facebook]; even matooke and milk were still coming,” he said on Friday.

“I hope Facebook now knows who is in charge of Uganda! When they stop playing games we shall open them."