Bitchat Dev Shrugs Off Uganda’s Threat To Block App: ‘good Luck Mate’ (2026)

Bitchat developer Calle boldly said, “You can’t stop us” after Uganda threatened to block Bitchat ahead of elections next week.

One of the developers of Jack Dorsey’s decentralized messaging app Bitchat has cast doubt on Uganda’s threat to shut down the app ahead of the country’s presidential election.

On Monday, the Uganda Communications Commission executive director, Nyombi Thembo, said his team has the technical know-how to turn off Bitchat.

Bitchat leverages Bluetooth mesh networks, enabling encrypted communication without the need for an internet connection.

It saw a huge rise in downloads last week after opposition leader Bobi Wine encouraged locals to install the app in case the government shuts down the internet, which they have done in previous elections.

“We know how it can be made not to work,” Thembo said while claiming that he works with the highest concentration of software developers and engineers in the country.

Data shared by Calle on Monday showed that over 400,000 Ugandans have already downloaded the app.

“You can’t stop Bitchat. You can’t stop us,” Calle said in a post on X, while urging more Ugandan developers to contribute to open-source projects.

During the 2016 election, long-time Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni imposed a nationwide block on internet and social media access, citing security and safety concerns.

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Source: CoinTelegraph