Bobi Wine and UCC executive director Irene Kaggwa. Courtesy Photos
Communications regulator Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has written to Google and Facebook demanding the blocking of about 14 YouTube channels and related Facebook pages and account affiliated to National Unity Platform (NUP) presidential candidate Robert Kyagulanyi aka Bobi Wine, claiming these are a threat to national security.
In a December 09 letter to Google, UCC tells the American multinational technology company that specializes in Internet-related services and products that the YouTube accounts had continued to break flout provisions of the constitution and other Ugandan laws.
UCC further told Google that the YouTube channels had promoted economic sabotage, threatened national safety and security, and would continue to do so unless they were blocked.
That the YouTube channels had failed to do their work on in line with set minimum broadcasting standards, had exhibited gross unprofessionalism and bias and had refused to registered with the regulator.
The regulator further told Google the channels broadcast “gruesome pictures including pictures of dead bodies, wounded victims of attacks and accidents, in a manner likely to cause public anxiety.”
It added that the channels’ content “glorifies lawlessness and undermines public interest, confidence in the law and its enforcement in Uganda.”
UCC further noted that the channels had refused to give ratings to their content.
The Commission further alleged that the channels were also instrumental in stoking the November 18 and 19 protests in which 54 Ugandan lives were lost.
The protests broke out after Bobi Wine’s arrest in Luuka District.
Security agencies and line ministries have insisted the riots were planned – not spontaneous.
The Pearl Times has learnt that UCC is also considering asking Facebook to ban pages and accounts linked to these channels.
The YouTube channels are:
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