How Bitchat works; officials show increase in downloads in Uganda

As Uganda heads to the presidential polls on January 15, 2026, many citizens are searching online for communication options in case the internet is shut down and only SMS and calls remain available.

Although the government has assured the public that it will not shut down the internet, many people remain sceptical.

Some argue that the government itself cannot fully predict how events will unfold during and after the election, which pits President Yoweri Museveni against Robert Kyagulanyi, also known as Bobi Wine.

In recent days, attention has turned to Bitchat, a peer-to-peer messaging app seen as a possible alternative. The app uses Bluetooth and the Nostr protocol.

Bitchat was announced in July 2025. It allows users to send encrypted messages through Bluetooth Low Energy mesh networks without internet access, mobile networks, user accounts, or central servers.

The app can also use the internet-based Nostr protocol to extend message reach when connectivity is available.

Downloads of Bitchat have increased in Uganda, with company officials reporting more than one million downloads in the country.

Below is how the app works as shared by Dr. Emmanuel Sserunjogi

Those who ask what Bitchat is and why they don't see anyone to chat with after downloading, here is the reply:

• Bitchat is a mesh network using Bluetooth to create this mesh. Since Bluetooth works in a short range, you always need a next-door neighbour within Bluetooth range to extend this range from you to their next-door neighbour. The result is 10,000 neighbours connected to a single network, each sharing with the other.

• Ideally, this wouldn't be useful since the whole country cannot have people 10m apart, but imagine during a serious revolution like what happened in India, millions of Gen-Z on the streets and all matching, or imagine the time when Kabaka was stopped from going to Bugerere and all Baganda matched on the streets or during Togikwatako. In this case, the best government response is to cut off communication by disconnecting the internet. This would stop you from getting information about the demonstration or revolution happening in town while you're in your house alone; however, everyone in the revolution matching on streets, with Bitchat installed, not even the government can stop this. So, Bitchat is very useful in these situations where tens of thousands of people are all on the streets, they can take videos and share, record brutality, share strategy and cannot be stopped by police. So at this moment, Bitchat isn't yet useful until situations like this.

• Next question, can the government switch off Bitchat? Of course not, Bluetooth jammers can block this mesh network, but you have to install many of them in different places, which is economically not viable and you have to keep moving with them wherever the people go, so which they can destroy the germers, since during a demo, you can't be within crowds, yet you're not on their side. Furthermore, as this is a decentralised network, messages are everywhere and nowhere, so you cannot shut down servers to stop it. So, Bitchat isn't for social media during luxury but in situations where everyone has come together.