Internet Governance

By CIPESA Writer | Following a seven-year, windy journey, on November 8, 2019, Kenya got a data protection law. The Data Protection Act, 2019 has various positive elements and can go a long way in addressing the live issues in protecting the privacy of data in Kenya. The law came at a time of widespread […] Read more

Call for Applications | The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is pleased to invite applications for round two of the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF). Launched in April 2019, the ADRF responds to rising digital rights violations such as arrests and intimidation of internet users, network shutdowns, and a proliferation […] Read more

By Babatunde Okunoye and Ashnah Kalemera | With a population of over 190 million, Nigeria is Africa’s largest telecommunications market, boasting more telephone and internet users than any other country on the continent. Over the past 20 years, the country has transitioned from a military regime to a relative democracy, albeit with human rights challenges,  […] Read more

By CIPESA Writer | Persons with disabilities have unique needs and have for long been disadvantaged, yet, the more some African countries get digitally connected, the deeper the digital divide for this community seems to grow. Indeed, debates about internet governance and the inclusiveness of the information society have not prominently featured the needs of […] Read more

Par Diouf Astou, Jonction | Aujourd’hui, les technologies de l’information et de la communication (TIC) constituent des leviers formidables  pour promouvoir et défendre les droits de l’homme. Elles offrent plusieurs espaces d’expression et de ce fait contribuent à l’exercice du droit à la liberté d’expression. Toutefois, les Etats ne cessent de vouloir  réduire ces espaces […] Read more

By Daniel Mwesigwa | According to the 2018 third quarter communication industry report by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), Uganda has 15 million users connected to the internet, representing a 38% internet penetration rate. However, the cost of access and usage is among the highest in the region, which has hampered the uptake of Information […] Read more

By Ashnah Kalemera | Senegal’s diverse media landscape helps it to attain relatively high scores in international press freedom rankings. It is ranked 50 out of 180 countries in the 2018 World Press Freedom Index, up from 79 in 2015. The country’s Constitution guarantees the right to freedom of expression thus: “Everyone shall have the […] Read more

By Ashnah Kalemera | Despite the promises and efforts made by Ethiopia’s new Prime Minister, Abiy Ahmed Ali, to transform the country after years of political repression and state control of major forms of media, the country is yet to experience substantive change in the state of digital rights. Restrictions to freedom of expression, privacy, […] Read more

By Ashnah Kalemera | In November 2019, The Gambia will be coming up for its third cycle review under the United Nations Universal Periodic Review (UPR) mechanism. Former President Yahya Jammeh, before his ouster in 2017, was renowned for his utter disregard for constitutional rights, once stating publicly that he would “not compromise or sacrifice the […] Read more

By Daniel Mwesigwa | Last year, Uganda’s communications regulator commissioned a study to establish the status of access and usage of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) by Persons With Disabilities (PWDs). In response to a call for comments, CIPESA made submissions to the commission, which could help various government agencies to devise strategies that meaningfully […] Read more