The Uganda Revenue Authority (URA) has restricted the importation of all Starlink satellite internet equipment into the country.
The December 19, memo from the office of the Customs Control Department (CCD) at the URA signed by a one Asadu Kigozi, that surfaced on Monday December 22, 2025, directed all customs staff to stop clearing the importation of Starlink gadgets, communication equipment or associated components unless the importer presents a clearance from the Chief of Defence Forces of the Uganda Peoples’ Defence Force (UPDF). The CCD is mandated to manage, collect, and administer international trade taxes, facilitate legitimate trade, and protect society by enforcing customs laws and regulations.
The memo reads in part: ‘This communication serves to officially notify staff about the immediate restriction on the importation and customs clearance of Starlink technology gadgets, communication equipment, and associated components.’
It added: ‘Any import declaration of the aforementioned items should be accompanied by a clearance/authorisation letter from the Chief of Defence Forces – Uganda Peoples Defence Force (UPDF)…This guidance takes effect immediately, and all staff are expected to adhere to it.’
Mr Kigozi did not, however, give reasons for the restrictions, which took effect immediately. Efforts to get a comment from URA were futile by press time because Mr Robert Kalumba, the assistant commissioner for Public and Corporate Affairs, did not answer our repeated calls. Calls to the Acting UPDF Spokesperson, Col Chris Magezi, also went unanswered.
But Mr Ibrahim Bbosa, the spokesperson of the Uganda Communication Commission (UCC), the government agency mandated to regulate all communication in the country, defended the move. ‘… the Commission, working closely with the security agencies, has raised concerns about unscrupulous individuals importing satellite dishes that have not received type approval from the Commission. In response, the Commission is collaborating with the security services to share intelligence and address the illegal importation of non-type-approved devices, in line with the law.’
He added that satellite dishes are classified as communications equipment and are therefore subject to mandatory type approval by the Commission before they can be imported, sold, installed, or used.
The requirement, he added, is set out in the Uganda Communications (Equipment Type Approval) Regulations, 2019, which apply to all communications equipment that is capable of transmitting, receiving, or interacting with radio or satellite signals.
‘Type approval is a regulatory process through which the Commission verifies that a piece of communications equipment complies with prescribed technical standards, safety requirements, and spectrum-use conditions. Once approved, the equipment is issued with a type approval certificate and must carry an official approval label,’ he said.
He added: ‘Satellite dishes receive radio frequency signals and interface with satellite communications systems. If unapproved equipment is used, it can cause harmful interference, compromise network integrity, or pose safety risks to users and installers. The regulations therefore require approval to protect consumers, ensure efficient spectrum use, and safeguard national communications infrastructure.’
Mr Bbosa further said the obligation applies to manufacturers, importers, distributors, sellers, installers, and users of satellite dishes because any equipment intended for use in Uganda, whether imported for commercial sale or private use, must be approved by the Commission unless a specific exemption or one-off approval has been granted.
Importation and enforcement
Importing or distributing satellite dishes that have not been type-approved is unlawful. The Commission works with other government agencies to verify compliance at points of entry and within the market. Non-approved equipment may be denied connection, confiscated, or subject to enforcement action under the law.
According to its official website, Starlink Technologies, owned by South African tech guru Elon Musk, is a satellite-based broadband internet service operated by Starlink Services, a subsidiary of the American aerospace company SpaceX.
The system uses a constellation of thousands of low Earth orbit satellites to deliver high-speed, low-latency internet directly to user terminals on the ground, bypassing the need for extensive fibre or mobile network infrastructure. It has been rolled out in numerous countries worldwide, particularly targeting regions with limited or unreliable internet access.
Due to its latest technology, it can bypass any Internet outage in case there is a blackout. The government, a few days before the 2021 polls, switched off the internet, a move officials said was aimed at taming disinformation and misinformation during the voting process and tallying.
The state minister for national guidance earlier this year said the government may again switch off the internet during the polls. Uganda will go into presidential and parliamentary polls on January 15, which is less than a month from now. This publication understands that the UCC is formulating a policy that will regulate the use of Starlink Technologies in Uganda.
The new development comes a few months after President Museveni met Starlink officials at State House, Nakasero, where discussions centred on the company’s proposed entry into Uganda’s telecommunications market. During that meeting, Museveni expressed interest in Starlink’s ability to provide affordable, high-speed internet to remote and under served areas, describing the technology as a potential solution to persistent connectivity gaps in rural Uganda.