Uganda could be headed for dark days as far as freedom of expression is concerned after Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko’s Computer Misuse (Amendment) Bill, 2022, is assented to by long-serving ruler Gen Yoweri Kaguta Tibuhaburwa Museveni.
On Thursday, September 08, Parliament considered and passed the Computer Misuse Amendment Bill while making a few amendments to the proposals made by Nsereko.
During toda’s plenary, it was not Nsereko who presented his bill, which is a private member’s bill, for the second reading.
Rather, it was Kazo County MP Dan Atwijukire Kimosho who had been delegated by Nsereko to make the presentation.
Some of the amendments included deletion of the penalty Nsereko had proposed for the political leaders and government officials convicted under this piece of legislation.
The MPs agreed that the additional penalty instituted on leaders and public officials on top of the criminal sanctions created under the Computer Misuse Act was excessive and discriminatory.
The legislators also included a new clause into the bill to help specifically regulate social media.
The clause on misuse of social media was included to read that any person who uses social media to publish, distribute or share information prohibited under the laws of Uganda or using a disguised or false identity, commits an offence.
The MPs also moved to punish administrators (Admins) or managers of organization’s social media accounts who commit offences through their posts.
According to the passed bill, if an administrator or admin publishes, distributes or shares information prohibited under the laws of Uganda, on a social media account of an organization, the person who manages the social media account of the organization, shall be held personally liable for the commission of the offence.
The passed bill now awaits President Museveni’s approval before the state can start enforcing it.
It should be remembered that Nsereko’s bill proposed tough punishments for social media users convicted under this law. (Read Story Here).
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