Govt to tighten nuts on social media
Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance
What you need to know:
- Human rights defenders say the move infringes on the rights of people to express themselves.
The government is set to introduce a new set of regulations and policies to curb social media platforms in the country and filter information deemed harmful to the public.
This was revealed by Dr Chris Baryomunsi, the Minister of ICT and National Guidance, during a press conference in Kampala on Wednesday. This comes at a time when many social media users have been arrested, and some have been charged in court and imprisoned for offences related to the Computer Misuse Act.
Dr Baryomunsi, however, said: “We shall not close social media, including TikTok, like some of the leaders have requested, but we are studying the whole area of social media with a view of introducing technologies and other services to regulate how to use social media. For instance, there are technologies which we are trying to acquire that can filter what can get into the public.” During the Eid ul Fitr celebrations on Sunday, the Mufti of Uganda, Sheikh Shaban Ramadhan Mubajje, asked the government to close TikTok in the country, saying the platform is being used to instigate hatred and disharmony in the country.
“TikTok has become a problem and I think the time will come when it will erupt into violence. When we had Facebook, the government closed it, but I think TikTok is worse than Facebook. I think TikTok is not being regulated,” Sheikh Mubajje said. He added: “I, for one, recently was in a country where TikTok is nonexistent. Then I said, oh, this is good, because TikTok is for idlers, for content seekers, for those who have no sense to say. So I would request that the government look into this. TikTok is useless.”
The 2023 Uganda Communication Commission (UCC) Annual Communications Sector Report indicates that 5.5 million Ugandans use TikTok. “I will be grateful if TikTok is banned because it is useless. Even the Sheikhs using it are misleading people, they are abusing people, but also bring petty things that are misleading and causing disunity among the Muslims,” Sheikh Mubajje said.
However, the Mufti’s comments received backlash from a section of the public who accused him of violating the Uganda Muslim Supreme Council constitution by clinging to power, illegally selling off Muslim properties and other malpractices. Before the 2021 elections, the government shut down Facebook, and five years later, it is has never been reopened. However, Ugandans, including ministers and government offices, have found ways to bypass the ban and use it. When asked why Facebook has not been officially reopened, Dr. Baryomunsi said it was because the platform promoted views against the government, which the government saw as harmful.
“The challenge with Facebook was it took sides in the partisan competitions in the last elections. But we've been engaging with Facebook with a view of harmonising our positions. And once these discussions are concluded, we may open it and allow it again to operate,” he said. Efforts to get a comment from Mr Nyombi Thembo, the UCC executive director, were futile by press time. However, when Daily Monitor contacted Mr Ibrahim Bbosa, the commission spokesperson, yesterday, he promised to get back to us after consultations. However, by press time, he had not responded to our follow-up calls and WhatsApp messages.
Human rights defenders respond
Human rights defenders say the move infringes on the rights of people to express themselves. Mr Anthony Masake, the executive director of Chapter Four Uganda, said the government is becoming increasingly repressive and that the plan to regulate social media will worsen the situation for Ugandans who disagree with the powers of the day. “The increased use of vague and repressive laws under the Computer Misuse Act to target legitimate forms of expression of dissenting and critical opinions ahead of the 2026 polls is deeply troubling,” he said.
Mr Masake said those calling for the ban of TikTok and other social media sites are anti-democratic forces threatening the rule of law in the country. “The calls for a blanket ban on TikTok is an unjustifiable attack on the freedom of expression of TikTok users in Uganda. Internet freedom is a human right. It is the oxygen of democracy,” he said, adding, “We urge the UCC and government authorities to refrain from further restrictions on online expression, end the spate of arbitrary arrests of TikTokers, and lift the ban on Facebook.”
Brutality against journalists
During the recent Kawempe North by-elections, security forces planned to attack journalists covering the campaigns and voting process. Sources say at least 10 meetings were held before the elections to discuss how to target journalists and stop them from reporting until the results were announced. More than 18 journalists from different media houses were brutally beaten by security officers, forcing media companies to pull their reporters from the field.
The attacks were widely condemned both in Uganda and beyond, with many calling for those responsible to be punished. Dr Baryomunsi says the government is planning training sessions for both security officers and journalists to help them work together better. “There is no need for crushing, there is no need for beating any journalist. Even if a journalist commits a crime or an offense, there are formal and civilised mechanisms through which that journalists can be brought to book,” he said.
