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11Sep

Uganda to Namibia: Biking for Digital Security and Internet Freedom in Africa

Author Brian Posted on

By FIFAfrica |

On Friday September 12, 2025, digital security expert and biker, Andrew Gole will set off on a solo motorbike journey spreading awareness about safety and security online. This will be the third time that Gole will travel across various countries on the continent ahead of the annual Forum on Internet in Africa (FIFAfrica). The effort is supported by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA), Defend Defenders and Access Now.

Gole will commence his trip in Kampala, Uganda and over a round trip distance of 13,000 kilometers (km) traverse through Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, and Botswana,  culminating in  Windhoek, Namibia, where the 2025 edition of FIFAfrica will convene this September 24-26, 2025. On his return journey to Uganda, Gole will also ride through Zambia and Rwanda, making it a total of 10 countries travelled through over the course of the journey. 

“I am truly excited to be hitting the road once again as part of the upcoming Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa. On my previous trips, I had the privilege of witnessing firsthand how diverse communities warmly embrace digital security as a key practice that empowers and protects their daily lives online and offline. These communities are often those left on the margins of mainstream efforts to enhance digital security, yet their eagerness to adopt these measures have been inspiring. I look forward to engaging with new communities on this trip and to  continuing this important work and deepening these connections as we move forward together.” – Andrew Gole, Digital Security Expert

Gole notes that traveling on his motorbike allowed him the mobility to connect directly with grassroots organisations. His “Digital Security on Wheels” initiative started in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic to address urgent digital security concerns beyond urban centers in Uganda and grew into a regional effort across East and Southern Africa through FIFAfrica.

In September 2022, ahead of the Forum which was held in Lusaka, Zambia and also served as the return to in-person meetings following a two year hiatus due to Covid-19, Gole pioneered the the #RoadToFiFAfrica Digital Security campaign. Gole embarked on the ambitious solo motorbike journey traversing approximately 3,300 kilometers.

The following year in 2023, ahead of the Tanzania edition of FIFAfrica, Gole led a major expedition that involved a team doing a round trip covering almost 10,000 km from Uganda through Kenya to Tanzania (and into the Indian Ocean island of Zanzibar via ferry). Gole was once again on his motorbike, supported by a team of digital rights experts from the Defenders Protection Initiative (DPI) in a passenger van.

“We applaud Gole’s effort and celebrate the spirit he carries every mile to Windhoek. Andrew’s ride is a testament to the ongoing effort of building Africa’s internet freedom community. It embodies the practical, peer-led approach to digital safety that empowers often-overlooked communities. His journey to Windhoek mirrors CIPESA’s core mission of promoting the inclusive and effective use of ICT for improved governance and livelihoods in Africa. Gole’s remarkable endurance underscores that protecting our digital spaces demands mobility, resilience, and solidarity. We applaud his effort as he carries this message all the way from Kampala to Windhoek.”
– Brian Byaruhanga, Technology Officer, CIPESA

In all instances, Gole’s efforts culminated in the Digital Security Hub that has become a staple at FIFAfrica and serves as a one-stop-shop for attendees online and offline to secure their devices while also attaining practical skills and information on how to navigate online spaces safely. 

The Digital Security Hub convened by CIPESA has featured experts from across the world and this year will include experts from Africa Interactive Media, Base Iota, Co-creation HUB, Defenders Protection Initiative (DPI), Digital Society Africa, Greenhost/Frontline Defenders and Defend Defenders alongside SocialTic, and Foundacion Accesso bringing learnings and expertise from South America.

About the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa: Now in its 12th year, the annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (#FIFAfrica25) is the continent’s leading platform for shaping digital rights, inclusion, and governance conversations. This year, the Forum will be held in Windhoek, Namibia, a beacon of press freedom, gender equity, and progressive jurisprudence, and is set to take place on September 24–26, 2025. 

FIFAfrica offers a unique, multi-stakeholder platform where key stakeholders, including policymakers, journalists, global platform operators, telecommunications companies, regulators, human rights defenders, academia, and law enforcement representatives convene to deliberate and craft rights-based responses for a resilient and inclusive digital society for Africans. 

FIFAfrica25 will be the third edition to be hosted in Southern Africa. Previous editions have been hosted in Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania and Senegal. Namibia, with its strong democratic credentials and progressive stance on digital transformation, provides a fitting host for FIFAfrica25.

About the Digital Security Hub: At the heart of FIFAfrica has been a Digital Security Hub designed to equip participants with practical knowledge and tools for staying safe in an increasingly digital environment. The Hub offers practical demonstrations and expert guidance on how to strengthen digital safety and resilience practices.

The Hub serves as a meeting for digital security trainers, technologists, and frontline users from across Africa and this year, Latin America as well. Digital security practices shared by the teams include advice on encryption and secure communications, through to countering online harassment and building safer digital infrastructures. 

The Digital Security hub is a vital feature of FIFAfrica25 and continues to serve as a space where communities can tangibly build their capacity to navigate the  constantly evolving digital ecosystem.

About the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA): CIPESA works to promote inclusive and effective use of Information and Communication Technology. (ICT) in Africa for improved governance and livelihoods. CIPESA was established in 2004 in response to the findings of the Louder Voices Report for the UK’s then Department for International Development (DFID), which cited the lack of easy, affordable and timely access to information about ICT-related issues and processes as a key barrier to effective and inclusive ICT policy making in Africa. CIPESA’s work continues to respond to a shortage of information, resources and actors consistently working at the nexus of technology, human rights and society.

Initially set up with a focus on research in East and Southern African countries, CIPESA has since expanded its work to include advocacy, capacity development and movement building across the African continent.

Today CIPESA is a leading ICT policy and governance think tank in Africa. CIPESA has strongly exhibited its passion about raising the capacity of African stakeholders in effective ICT policy making and in engendering ICT in development and poverty reduction, as per its mandate. 

For Queries about CIPESA and the Digital Resilience Hub

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03Sep

CIPESA Delivers Training to Ugandan Editors on AI in the Newsroom

Author CIPESA Posted on

By CIPESA Writer |

Artificial intelligence (AI)-related legal and national policy frameworks were the focus for Ugandan editors at an August 20, 2025, workshop organised by the Uganda Editors Guild and World Association of News Publishers (WAN IFRA). The training deliberated on responsible adoption of AI tools by newsrooms and saw participants brainstorm how to effectively navigate the complexities that AI poses to the media industry and the practice of journalism.

WAN-IFRA WIN Deputy Executive, Operations, Jane Godia emphasised that artificial intelligence is evolving rapidly and media houses can no longer afford to ignore the shift. “What we’re really focused on is how to embrace AI in ways that strengthen the core of journalism, and not to replace it, but to enhance its usage while safeguarding credibility and editorial independence,” she said.

Godia urged newsrooms to develop clear AI policies to guide ethical and responsible reporting in this new era in order to promote meaningful conversations about establishing practical, well-defined policies that harness the power of AI without compromising journalistic ethics.

At the workshop, the Collaboration on International ICT for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) presentations focused on the state of artificial intelligence regulation and noted with concern, the lack of an AI-specific legislation in the country. However, there are several laws and policies in which provisions that touch the application and use of AI can be drawn. CIPESA highlighted existing legal frameworks enabling AI deployment, current regulatory gaps, and the consequent implications of AI on newsrooms.

The key legal instruments highlighted include the Uganda Data Protection and Privacy Act enacted in 2019, which provides for the protection and regulation of personal data, and whose data protection rights and principles apply to processing of data by AI systems. Section 27 of this Act specifically provides for rights related to automated decision-making, which brings the application of AI directly under the section.

The other instruments discussed include the Copyright and Neighboring Rights Act, which protects the rights of proprietors and authors from unfair use, and the National Payment Systems Act, which regulates payment systems and grants the Central Bank regulatory oversight over payments. Furthermore, the National Information Technology Authority, Uganda (NITA-U) Act establishes the National Information Technology Authority with a mandate to enhance public service delivery and to champion the transformation of livelihoods of Ugandans using information and communication technologies (ICT). While these laws do not specifically mention AI, some of their provisions can be utilised to regulate AI-related practices and processes.

Other laws discussed include the Uganda Communications Act enacted in 2013, which establishes the Uganda Communications Commission as the communications sector regulator that, among others, oversees the deployment of AI in the sector. Meanwhile, the Regulation of Interception of Communications Act (RICA) enacted in 2010, requires telecommunication service providers in section 8(1)(b) to aid interception of communications by installing hardware and software, which are essentially AI manned. Also relevant is the Anti-Terrorism Act provides for the interception of communication for persons suspected to be engaged in perpetration of acts of terrorism and the Computer Misuse Act provides for several offences committed using computers.

In addition to the laws, various AI-linked policy frameworks were also presented. These include Vision 2040, which is intended to drive Uganda into a middle-income status country by 2040; the National Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) Strategy (2020), which aims to position Uganda as a continental hub for 4IR technologies by 2040; and Uganda’s third National Development Plan (NDP III), which is a comprehensive framework to guide the country’s development. These strategic frameworks cover some areas of Machine Learning and AI integration by virtue of being technology-oriented.

Making reference to the Artificial Intelligence in Eastern Africa Newsrooms report, Edrine Wanyama,  Programmes Manager-Legal at CIPESA, highlighted the advantages of AI in newsrooms as extending to increased increased productivity and efficiency in task performance, decrease in daily workload, faster reporting of news stories, quicker fact-checks and detection of disinformation and misinformation patterns.

On the flip side, the workshop also highlighted the current risks associated with use of AI in newsrooms, including facilitating disinformation and misinformation, the tradeoff of accuracy for speed by journalists and editors, over-reliance on AI tools at the cost of individual creativity, the erosion of journalistic ethics and integrity, and the threat of job loss that looms over journalists and editors.

Dr. Peter G. Mwesige, Chief of Party at CIPESA, urged editors to think beyond what AI can do for journalists and newsrooms, and treat AI itself as a beat to be covered critically. Citing trends from other markets, he observed that media coverage is often incomplete, swinging between hype and alarm, and called for explanatory, evidence-based reporting on the promise and limits of AI. He noted that one of AI’s most compelling capabilities is processing large data sets, such as election results, rapidly and at scale.

On the ethical front, Dr. Mwesige emphasised the need for transparency, saying journalists should disclose material use of AI in significant editorial tasks. He urged newsrooms to adopt clear internal policies or integrate AI guidance into existing editorial guidelines.

Dr. Mwesige concluded that while AI can assist with brainstorming story ideas, editing, and transcription, among others, “journalists must still put in the hard work.”
Following the deliberations, CIPESA presented recommendations that challenged the use of AI in the newsroom and the protection of the participants, if AI is to be used meaningfully and ethically without compromising integrity and professionalism.

  • Ethically use AI by, among others, complying with acceptable standards such as the Paris Charter on AI, respect for copyright and acknowledge sources of works.
  • In collaboration with other newsrooms and media houses, develop best practices including policies to guide the integration and application of AI in their work.
  • Media houses should collaboratively invest resources in training journalists in responsible and ethical use of AI.
  • Employ and deploy the use of fact-checkers to deal with information disorders like misinformation, disinformation and deepfakes.
  • Respect other people’s rights, such as intellectual property rights and the right to privacy, while using AI.
  • Use AI under the exercise of extra caution when generating content to avoid cases of unethical usage that often undermines journalism’s ethical standards.
  • Prioritise human oversight over the application and use of AI to ensure that all cases of excessive intrusion by AI are ironed out and a human aspect is added to generated content.

13Aug

Claiming Digital Rights in Uganda’s Business Sector

Author CIPESA Posted on

By CIPESA Writer |

In an era where digital technologies are reshaping every sector including health, agriculture, finance, education and the labour market, Uganda is fast-tracking its ambition to become a fully connected, inclusive digital society. Yet, as the country rolls out its Digital Transformation Roadmap, critical questions remain: Who is being left behind? Who bears the cost of connecting the unconnected? How do we ensure that technological innovation does not come at the expense of human rights protection?

These were the central concerns at the inaugural National Business and Digital Rights Policy Dialogue hosted by the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) on July 23, 2025. The event brought together 55 participants comprising policymakers, innovators, civil society, the private sector, and development partners to explore how Uganda’s digital transformation is affecting human rights, especially data protection, privacy, access, and equity. The dialogue reviewed not just Uganda’s      progress, but the power dynamics, policy gaps, and human rights risks shaping digitalisation in business.

The Digital Vision vs. The Digital Reality

Uganda’s Digital Transformation Roadmap sets bold targets: 90% household connectivity, nationwide broadband coverage, and widespread e-service access by 2040. Progress is visible, with over 4,000km of national optical fibre infrastructure laid, and more than 100 digital public services rolled out. Yet, beneath these achievements, gaps in digital literacy, access and utility, as well as funding constraints, persist.

According to the 2024 National Population and Housing Census, Uganda’s population stands at 45.9 million, of whom 50.5% are under the age of 18, representing a massive youth cohort born into a digital world yet often lacking affordable internet access and digital tools. Connectivity gaps are further shaped by geography, with over 75% of the population living in rural areas where infrastructure is limited.

On the gender lens, women who comprise 23.4 million of the population, slightly outnumbering men at 22.5 million, continue to disproportionately face digital access barriers. These range from high data costs, low digital literacy, and limited access to devices and digital infrastructure, especially in rural and remote districts. As one of the panelists during the policy dialogue noted, “Digital transformation is moving fast, but our institutions and communities are not always keeping pace.”

Meanwhile, the informal sector, which employs approximately 80-92% of the country’s workforce, remains largely invisible in national digital strategies and compliance frameworks. This informal sector significantly overlaps with Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs), which are central to Uganda’s economic growth, yet they often operate without proper tools to secure user data or navigate the evolving digital compliance landscape due to limited awareness, resources, and technical capacity.

As businesses digitise, their responsibility to protect users’ rights increases. However, many of them lack the knowledge to protect these rights. Uganda’s laws and enforcement mechanisms also have gaps. As a result, there is weak oversight over fintech platforms and digital lenders, low awareness and implementation of the Data Protection and Privacy Act, rampant digital surveillance, and gendered digital harms, including online harassment.

Data Is Power but Who Holds It?

Uganda’s fast-growing population is generating an unprecedented amount of personal data. The 2024 population census itself relied on tablet-based digital enumeration for the first time. However, while digital data collection is expanding, data governance is not keeping pace. The Personal Data Protection Office (PDPO) and National Information Technology Authority Uganda (NITA-U) are key players, but capacity and resourcing gaps persist. If left unaddressed, digital innovation risks entrenching inequality, with vulnerable populations, especially refugees, informal workers, and low-income women, paying the price for systems that were not designed with their rights in mind.      

Digital Rights are Human Rights

The future of work in the advent of technology emerged as a key aspect of digital rights, with Moses Okello of the National Organisation of Trade Unions (NOTU) warning that Uganda’s labour laws have not kept pace with the rise of gig work and digital employment. Millions of informal workers remain unprotected and unaware of their rights in the digital economy. He called for urgent legal reforms and a national strategy that integrates labour protections into digital policy, while urging stronger collaboration with civil society to build grassroots awareness and empower workers to navigate digital transitions.

Ruth Ssekindi, Director at the Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC), underscored the commission’s constitutional duty to uphold human rights across both state and private sectors, particularly in Uganda’s fast-evolving digital landscape. She highlighted growing concerns over digital rights violations including uninformed data consent, artificial intelligence (AI) manipulation, child exploitation, and poor data security, noting that these challenges disproportionately affect vulnerable populations amid low digital literacy and weak enforcement.

Ssekindi called on businesses to embrace a broader duty of care that goes beyond tax compliance and profit, stressing the need to respect, protect, and remedy digital rights violations. She also pointed to the persistent gender gap in digital access and urged greater inclusion of women and marginalised communities in digital development. While the UHRC plays a key role in shaping digital governance through legal review, education, and policy oversight, she noted that the commission must be adequately resourced, empowered and supported to effectively fulfil its mandate in the digital age.

The dialogue reinforced a clear message that connectivity alone is not enough. Uganda must build an inclusive digital economy anchored in justice, transparency, and community voice. This means empowering watchdog institutions like the PDPO, updating outdated laws and regulations, investing in digital literacy, especially for youths and women, and supporting civic participation in digital policy-making.

In direct response, CIPESA launched the #BeeraSharp (translated as “Be Smart”) campaign. This initiative aims to equip Ugandan businesses with the knowledge and tools to act responsibly in the digital space. #BeeraSharp champions a culture of accountability, urging businesses to take charge of how they collect, store, share, and protect user data. It also promotes understanding of legal obligations under Uganda’s Data Protection and Privacy Act, while encouraging ethical digital conduct across sectors.

A Digital Future for All?

As Uganda ramps up its digitalisation agenda and embraces emerging technologies such as AI and robotics, businesses, policymakers, and civil society must work hand in hand to ensure Uganda’s digital revolution is not just a story of innovation but also a story of inclusion and respect for human rights. As the dialogue closed, one key takeaway stood out: Uganda’s digital future must be intentionally inclusive and rights-driven. Achieving this will require cross-sector collaboration to scale digital skills, reform of outdated laws, more financial and capacity support to institutions like UHRC, NITA-U and the PDPO to protect data rights, and empowering communities through digital literacy, local innovation, and inclusive governance.

19May

CIPESA Submissions to White Paper on ICT Tax Reduction – Uganda

Author CIPESA Posted on

Policy Brief | 

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is not a standalone sector. Beyond broadcast and [tele]communications, it is increasingly integrating and digitalising critical parts of the economy, including manufacturing, finance, health, and transport. In Uganda, the ICT sector has been recognised as vital for enabling and boosting revenue generation and collection.

In this position statement, we showcase revenue-generation practices in Uganda’s ICT sector and benchmark them against East African jurisdictions, namely Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania, while occasionally drawing lessons from other markets.

By reviewing Uganda’s ICT sector tax policies, licensing fees, and regulatory regimes, this position statement demonstrates that although Uganda has registered considerable growth in the sector and made important steps toward revenue generation, the short-term gains have perhaps come at the expense of a more sustainable growth of the nascent digital economy.

In particular, the taxes on digital devices and connectivity infrastructure, combined with gaps in leveraging technology to support the domestic tax revenue mobilisation strategy, might be causing more harm than good. Although countries in the region face similar challenges – especially on the persistence of informality and tax complexities introduced by international technology data transfers and exchanges – Uganda’s ICT sector could learn from successes from elsewhere and undertake a comprehensive review of digital devices taxes and telecommunications license regimes, and also conduct tax impact assessments of emerging technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI).

We make a series of recommendations to the National Task Team on Enhancement of Government Revenue from the ICT Sector—Ministry of ICT in Uganda. We also stress that by carefully reviewing the country’s current ICT tax policies and drawing lessons from regional practices and tax frameworks, Uganda can substantially improve its capture of tax revenues from the digital economy. 

By facilitating wider access to devices such as smartphones as well as implementing a tax system based on significant economic presence and simplified tax collection mechanisms, Uganda could better harness the potential of its digital economy while ensuring that mobile network operators and digital platforms contribute fairly to the country’s total tax revenue. 

A key plank in this agenda should be a reduction in taxes on smartphones, tablets and entry-level laptops and a contemporaneous incentivisation regime to turn Uganda into a regional manufacturing hub for high-quality but affordable products in eastern and central Africa.

Find the full position paper here.

28Apr

Uganda Steps Up Pressure on Social Media Critics Ahead of 2026 Polls

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Peter Mwesige and Edrine Wanyama |

As Uganda inches closer to the 2026 general elections, state pressure on digital expression is intensifying. A wave of arrests, warnings, and regulatory threats is targeting online critics – particularly users of TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube – raising concerns over the shrinking space for free expression and political dissent in the digital sphere.

This emerging crackdown reflects long-standing government discomfort with the influence of social media in political discourse, civic engagement, and political mobilisation. In a country where traditional media are increasingly constrained, social media has become a vital platform for citizens to access information, express opinions, and hold leaders to account. But as past election cycles in 2016 and 2021 have shown, authorities often treat digital civic engagement as a threat to stability, rather than a cornerstone of democratic participation.

Recent Arrests Spark Alarm

In recent months, a string of arrests has drawn attention to the government’s increasingly punitive approach to online dissent. In November 2024, three TikTokers were arrested and charged under the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022 with “hate speech” and “spreading malicious information”. Their alleged offence? Posting videos deemed insulting to President Yoweri Museveni, the First Lady, and other high-ranking officials.

Just days later, a 21-year-old TikToker was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for what prosecutors described as ridiculing and spreading hate speech and malicious information against President Museveni and his family. Emmanuel Nabugodi, who was also charged under the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, allegedly posted a video of a mock trial of the President and called for his public flogging. 

Under section 26 of the Computer Misuse Act, it is an offence to “…share any information through a computer, which is likely to- (a) ridicule, degrade, or demean another person, group of persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion, or gender; (b) create divisions among persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion, or gender; or (c) promote hostility against a person, group of persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion or gender.”  

In July 2024, a 24-year-old TikToker had been sentenced to six years in prison for insulting the President, First Lady Janet Museveni, and the First Son Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the Chief of Defence Forces. 

That same month the former Rubaga Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Herbert Anderson Burora, was charged in court with spreading hate speech and malicious information about the Speaker of Parliament via his X handle. Burora, who spent three weeks on remand in prison, was released on bail. Comedians like Obed Lubega have also found themselves in the crosshairs, facing arrest and charges of “social media misuse” for politically themed satire.

This pattern mirrors earlier arrests of online critics. In 2019, academic and activist Stella Nyanzi, who was charged under the Computer Misuse Act, 2011 for allegedly harassing and annoying President Museveni in a Facebook post, was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Dr Nyanzi, who had spent nine months in prison, was convicted of “cyber harassment”. She was acquitted on appeal in February 2020, after spending 15 months in prison. She relocated to Germany in 2022.

In January 2022, novelist and activist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was charged with offensive communication under the same law for allegedly insulting President Museveni and his son Kainerugaba on Twitter. Kakwenza, who was tortured while in detention, fled into exile in February 2022, after he was released on bail.

Legal Tools for Suppression

Uganda’s legal framework provides broad latitude for the suppression of digital expression. The Computer Misuse Act under section 29(5) criminalises a wide range of online behaviour, including “sending unsolicited messages,” “sharing malicious information,” and broadly defined “misuse” of social media. These vague provisions give authorities sweeping powers to arrest and prosecute individuals for content that would otherwise be protected under the Constitution.

Although the Penal Code provisions on the publication of false news and on sedition were repealed by the Supreme Court in 2004 and the Constitutional Court in 2010 respectively –  the Uganda Law Revision (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2023 formally repealed these offences in the Penal Code – their spirit lives on in new laws and administrative practices. 

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has become a central actor in this environment, frequently issuing threats to online content creators and broadcasters, and accusing them of violating “public morality” and “minimum broadcasting standards.”

In October 2024, the UCC warned media houses that their employees’ online conduct could cost them their broadcast licences. Employers were urged to police their staff’s social media posts and enforce compliance with internal policies – a move that blurs the line between professional oversight and state-enforced censorship.

Surveillance and Policy Threats

Alongside prosecutions and regulatory threats, the Ugandan government is ramping up surveillance of digital platforms. The planned importation of AI-powered equipment to monitor social media activity, as recently disclosed by the UCC, is raising red flags among digital rights advocates. The technology is reportedly intended to filter out so-called “harmful content,” including hate speech, disinformation, and incitement. However, without transparent oversight and public safeguards, such measures risk becoming tools of censorship rather than protection.

The state’s track record heightens these concerns. During the 2021 elections, Uganda experienced a near-total internet shutdown. In 2016, social media and mobile money services were blocked. And since January 2021, Facebook has remained inaccessible in Uganda due to a standoff with the government over the platform’s removal of pro-government accounts.

These precedents suggest that the government views online platforms not as forums for democratic exchange but as threats to political control. With elections on the horizon, similar disruptions could lie ahead.

Disinformation as a Pretext

Efforts to combat disinformation – while necessary in any democracy – are also being weaponised. The UCC’s recent “Dis-Mis Fake News Campaign,” launched in partnership with the Next Media Group, aims to address the proliferation of false information online. Yet statements condemning “explicit” or “offensive” content frequently target political commentary and satire rather than genuinely harmful content.

The blurring of lines between disinformation control and censorship underscores the need for balanced, rights-respecting approaches. Without clear definitions, independent oversight, and meaningful public input, anti-disinformation efforts can too easily be turned against legitimate expression.

A Chilling Effect

The cumulative effect of arrests, prosecutions, surveillance, and regulatory overreach is a chilling of free expression. Content creators, journalists, and ordinary citizens are increasingly engaging in self-censorship out of fear of legal repercussions or job loss. The pressure extends beyond individuals to media houses and telecom companies, many of which feel compelled to comply with state directives even when they infringe on constitutional rights.

This environment undermines Uganda’s commitments under national and international human rights law. Freedom of expression, access to information, and the right to privacy are not privileges to be granted or revoked; they are fundamental rights that should be protected, especially during elections.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has stated in its General Comment No 34 on Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that laws that provide special protection to public figures, such as “insult laws”, are not justifiable as they often suppress legitimate criticism. The UN Human Rights Committee adds that criminal penalties for insult laws are disproportionate and risk having a chilling effect on freedom of speech. 

The Way Forward

To safeguard Uganda’s digital civic space in the lead-up to the 2026 elections, urgent action is needed. Laws that criminalise online expression must be reviewed and aligned with human rights standards. Regulatory bodies like the UCC must act independently and transparently, with clear mandates focused on enabling – not stifling – public discourse.

More broadly, the government, civil society, media, and the private sector must commit to upholding digital rights as integral to democratic participation. As Uganda prepares to head to the next elections, the internet must remain a space for open dialogue, not a battlefield for repression.

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