Ugandan Parliament recently passed an amendment in the computer misuse act that was enacted way back in 2013.
The Computer Misuse Act 2022
After seeking leave of Parliament, Muhammad Nsereko, the Kampala Central Member of Parliament drafted a private member’s bill seeking amendments in the computer misuse act of 2013. he later presented his repugnant’ that was hastily debated and passed by the country’s parliament and forwarded to the 37 years ruler of the 60 years independent land locked Uganda. The president assented to it and it is now a law in the penal code of the country.
Some of the ridiculous clauses of the law
A person who uses social media to publish, distribute or share information prohibited under the laws of Uganda, or using a disguised or false identity, commits an offence,” states the new law.
The law also penalises “recording of a person’s voice or video without permission, or unauthorised access to their personal information”. Human rights activists and journalists have described this as dangerous as it would interfere with journalism and collection of evidence for the prosecution in a case of bribery or any crime committed.
Amnesty International (AI) has since called for the scrapping of what they called “draconian law aimed at suppressing freedom of expression online.”
“This piece of legislation threatens the right to freedom of expression online, including the right to receive and impart information, on the pretext of outlawing unsolicited, false, malicious, hateful, and unwarranted information. It is designed to deliberately target critics of government and it will be used to silence dissent and prevent people from speaking out” Muleya Mwananyanda, AI’s Director for East and Southern Africa said in a statement released recently.