News Update |
President Uhuru Kenyatta has assented to the Computer and Cybercrimes Bill, 2017. The new law imposes hefty fines and long prison terms for cyber bullies and fake news dealers. It also targets journalists, media houses, social media users, bloggers and other internet users.
The assent comes amid calls for the president to revert the law back to Parliament to…
Joint Statement |
Access Now and The Internet Society on The Need to Protect The Core of The Internet for Digital Rights.
The internet is changing our world. It can empower us. It can connect us and facilitate information exchange across borders. It allows our voice to be heard when others want to silence us. Internet access has been recognized by the United…
News Update |
Nairobi, May 10, 2018 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today called on Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta not to sign into law a cybercrimes bill that was recently passed by the National Assembly because it will stifle press freedom.
On April 26, 2018, the National Assembly approved the Computer and Cybercrimes Bill, 2017. The bill, among other provisions, criminalizes the publication of false…
Gender Gap News |
Half the world will be online by the end of 2018, according to our estimates at the Web Foundation. This is an incredible milestone — but it also means that nearly four billion people across the globe are still offline, shut out from the digital revolution and the opportunities that many take for granted.
This digital divide mirrors…
Burundi News Update |
Burundi’s press regulator on Friday said it was suspending broadcasts by the BBC and Voice of America (VOA) by local radio stations ahead of a constitutional referendum on May 17.
The head of Burundi’s National Communications Council told journalists in the capital Bujumbura that a six-month ban would come into force on Monday. Karenga Ramadhani accused the BBC…
When Uganda in April ordered Internet service providers to shut down all news sites that had not been authorized by the communications regulator, it was the latest attempt by President Yoweri Museveni’s government to constrict the space for independent media. The regulator said that only 14 online publishers had met the requirements to remain online, including a USD 20 fee and an interpol clearance certificate. If the directive is…
By Edrine Wanyama |
It is anticipated that by 2025, there will be at least 5.9 billion mobile subscribers accounting for 71% of the world’s population. As of 2017, Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) had a mobile subscription rate of 44% which is projected to reach 52% by 2025. Further, SSA’s mobile internet penetration by 2017 stood at 21% and is anticipated to…
By Juliet Nanfuka |
Uganda’s president Yoweri Museveni has directed the finance ministry to introduce taxes on the use of social media platforms. According to him, the tax would curb gossip on networks such as WhatsApp, Skype, Viber and Twitter and potentially raise up to Uganda Shillings (UGX) 400 billion (USD 108 million) annually for the national treasury. The ministry has already proposed amendments…