Uganda

CIPESA Convenes Journalists to Discuss Uganda’s Data Protection Bill

By Esther Nakkazi |

Ugandan citizens’ personal data may be at risk of misuse if the Uganda Data protection and Privacy Bill (2014) to be tabled before parliament is passed in current form. Currently, large entities like telecommunications service providers, insurers, hospitals and even schools retain the information of millions of citizens who remain unaware of how secure their information is, especially as more of…

Hunting Down Social Media ‘Abusers’ in Uganda as Elections Near

By CIPESA Staff |

As Uganda draws closer to the February 2016 presidential elections, the fever of anxiety in government corridors is rising. Over the years, election periods have seen a crackdown on social media, voices critical of the ruling party, and independent media in the guise of promoting public order and unity as well as preventing the spread of false information. This, however,…

OpenNet Africa Challenge Uncovers Gaps in Digital Safety Tools

By Ashnah Kalemera |

There are numerous tools which can secure online users’ communications, including through anonymising their identities and enabling them to circumvent online surveillance and censorship. In some cases, developers have gone on to localise such tools to suit various contexts. However, the tools’ relevance to certain populations and how best to improve them for a diverse range of…

Building Local Online Content Through The Creative Industries in Africa

The creative industry provides a blend of literature, visual, audio, physical and verbal means through which to communicate complex social issues – increasingly complemented by online tools. In particular, the music industry in Africa is driving the digitalisation of content as it aligns itself with global trends.

There are locally developed apps to cater specifically to African content producers and consumers.…

World Press Freedom: Ugandan Journalists Convened for Digital Security Training

By Juliet Nanfuka

On May 2, a total of 27 Ugandan journalists were trained in digital security procedures. The training was held in commemoration of World Press Freedom Day (May 3), which this year was celebrated under the theme “Let Journalism Thrive! Towards Better Reporting, Gender Equality, and Media Safety in the Digital Age”.

The training, which was organised by the Collaboration on…

Revenge porn is rising and it should be addressed

By Esther Nakkazi

As the world commemorated International Women’s Day on March 8, Ugandan women rights and information and communication technology (ICT) activists called for cyber policies to be put in place in African countries to protect women against violations of their digital rights.
This comes as the number of nude video recordings and photos taken in private are being increasingly leaked…

Reflections on Uganda’s Draft Data Protection and Privacy Bill, 2014

Towards the end of 2014, Uganda’s government through the National Information Technology Authority (NITA-U), Ministry of Information Communication and Technology (MoICT) and the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs (MOJCA) issued a draft Data Protection and Privacy Bill for public comment.

The Bill seeks to protect the privacy of the individual and personal data by regulating the collection and processing of…