Ahead of its upcoming elections, Uganda has asked bloggers and other media channels publishing or broadcasting political content online to register with authorities in the country in order to continue operations. This move has drawn further criticism from observers who view it as another attempt at stifling free speech in the country.
Making this known recently, the Uganda Communications Commission announced that bloggers and online media channels are required to seek necessary authorisation from the commission on or before October 5, 2020.
Speaking to the Associated Press, the spokesman for the agency, Ibrahim Bobsa, revealed that the directive was motivated, in part, by “an avalanche of people interested in opening online media channels.” Explaining further on the negative aspect of social media, Bobsa said: “We know that if these tools are misused, they can lead to trouble.”
Not the First Time for Uganda
This new directive from the Ugandan government comes after several other attempts aimed at gagging the press as the country heads into an election season that could very much play a definitive role in its political future.
Accused of trying to suppress the press, in July 2018, the government imposed a tax targeting social media users, charging them daily to access social media websites and apps. Reactions to the tax had been negative with Amnesty International urging authorities to scrap the unpopular tax, calling it “a clear attempt to undermine the right to freedom of expression” in this East African country.
More recently, the New York-based, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) noted that it had documented the cases of 10 journalists and writers assaulted by security personnel, detained or charged with offences relating to their work which might have spoken out about President Yoweri Museveni.
The upcoming elections in Uganda are scheduled to hold between January 10 and February 8, 2021, will see longtime President Museveni go against a younger opponent, musician turned politician, Bobi Wine.
