Ugandan human rights advocate Michael Aboneka has formally petitioned MTN Uganda, demanding answers over what he describes as an illegal and intrusive political SMS sent to his phone during the tense January 2026 election period.
In a complaint letter dated 3rd February 2026, Aboneka accuses the telecom giant of violating the Data Protection and Privacy Act, 2019, after he received an unsolicited pro-Museveni election message on 14th January 2026 via the M7NALO messaging platform.
According to Aboneka, the SMS urged recipients to remain calm and participate peacefully in the elections despite being sent after the official campaign period, raising serious legal and ethical concerns.
The activist argues that the message points to possible unauthorised sharing of subscriber data between telecom companies and political actors during the just-concluded polls.
“I never consented to receive political communication, let alone campaign-related messages,” Aboneka reportedly notes in his complaint.
The complaint has since sparked heated debate online, with many Ugandans backing Aboneka and urging him to escalate the matter into a class-action lawsuit.
Several social media users say the incident reflects a long-standing abuse of subscriber data by telecom companies, especially during politically sensitive periods.
The controversy has also reignited calls for the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) to take a tougher stance on telecom data governance and enforce stricter compliance with privacy laws.
As public pressure grows, all eyes are now on MTN Uganda’s response and whether this case could open the floodgates for broader legal action against telecom firms accused of mishandling customer data during elections.
This is a developing story, stay tuned for more updates here