By Shitemi Khamadi | In 2015, Allan Wadi, became the first Kenyan to be convicted of hate speech online. At a May 2017 training on internet and the law, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity to acquire skills and knowledge to avoid future arrest and prosecution. While he is currently facing an incitement to violence […] Read More
By Ashnah Kalemera | The Rwanda Utilities Regulatory Authority (RURA), the body that regulates telecommunication services, has dismissed a statement by the country’s electoral body regarding vetting of social media posts by candidates in the upcoming elections. This principled move by RURA needs to be commended, and just like the authority has steadfastly held service […] Read More
Joint Letter | President Yahya Jammeh cc: Gambia Public Utilities Regulatory Authority (PURA) Gambia Permanent Mission to the United Nations African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights 30 November 2016 Your Excellency, We are writing to urgently request that you ensure the stability and openness of the internet during the forthcoming elections in Gambia on […] Read More
By Arthur Gwagwa | The defining era in Zambia’s current rise in online political and civic activism can be traced back to the period between 2011 and 2013. This is when the late President Sata embraced social media as part of his political and public diplomacy strategy. As the country now prepares for the August 2016 […] Read More
By CIPESA Writer | A day before Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni was inaugurated for another five-year term, access to social media platforms including Whatsapp, Facebook and Twitter was blocked on instructions of the regulator, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC). The directive came less than three months after a four-day blockage initiated on Election Day (February […] Read More
By CIPESA Writer | The 2015/2016 electioneering season in Uganda set a precedent in the use of social media as a means for politicians to reach out and engage with citizens. It was the first time in Uganda that a candidate announced they would run for President via YouTube and also saw candidate Yoweri Museveni […] Read More
By Access Now | Mr. Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein, Mr. David Kaye, Mr. Joseph Cannataci, Mr. Maina Kiai, Mr. Michel Forst, Ms. Faith Pansy Tlakula, and Ms. Reine Alapini-Gansou cc: African Union African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM) Secretariat Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa Secretariat Domestic & International Election Observer Missions to the Republic […] Read More
| By CIPESA Writer On the morning of the highly anticipated general elections in Uganda, citizens woke up to no access to social media platforms Facebook, Twitter and Whatsapp. The popular mobile phone-based financial transaction service commonly known as Mobile Money was also offline. Tech-savvy Ugandans keen to keep information on the electioneering process flowing […] Read More
Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), 2017
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