Kampala, Uganda – It’s the eve of Uganda’s highly contested presidential election, and the country is partially shut down.The national communications authority has suspended public internet access, the sale and registration of new SIM cards, and outbound roaming services.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemsend of listOn the streets of the capital city, the move has triggered anger and frustration — especially among young people who rely heavily on the internet for work, communication, and opportunity.Marvin Masole says he mostly uses WhatsApp to communicate and to do business.The 27-year-old university graduate has tried repeatedly to find a job — and failed.Frustrated, he is now looking for opportunities abroad.“Many of us use WhatsApp. Without internet, we are stuck,” he tells Al Jazeera.“There are people out there earning money online. I feel if we had a youthful president, he would not have authorised the shutdown. He is marginalising us.”Masole is gathered with friends at a food stall in downtown Kampala. The group share a famous “Rolex” – a chapati rolled with egg – a popular street delicacy in Uganda.The oldest person among them is 37 years old. Most are in their 20s.This mirrors the national average – more than 70 percent of the country is under the age of 35.But for decades, this youthfulness has not been reflected in the upper echelons of power.For all their lives, Masole and his friends have known only one president — Yoweri Museveni, now 81, who is seeking a seventh term after nearly four decades in power. Opposition supporters in Uganda …
