By Mulengera Reporters
The Computer Misuse Act is casually referred to as the social media or Tik Tok law by many Ugandans because it’s always the instrument the state prosecutors use to effect the prosecution of those who commit Tik Tok, X, YouTube, Facebook and generally internet-related offences.
These offences relate to hate speech, misinformation and disinformation or even criminal defamation and offensive communication. In a bid to demonstrate their displeasure with poor service delivery, acts of grand corruption and generally how their mother Uganda is being governed, hundred of aggrieved Ugandan youths these days leverage their smart phones to take to internet (Tik Tok etc) to vent out their anger.
Quite often, in the process of registering their dissatisfaction, some go overboard and end up abusing those they are complaining against. Many have ended up being prosecuted and charged with cyber harassment, computer misuse and many other related offences.
Many such offences are created under the Computer Misuse Act, which in 2022 was amended to remove ambiguity, streamline the offences and create more stringent penalties and sanctions.
The UCC Executive Director Nyombi Thembo, whose Commission is charged with regulating all online and internet-enabled communications in Uganda, including that which is offensive, says that, with Ugandans counting doing to 2026 amidst heightened political tensions, they aren’t prepared to tolerate anyone using internet or even the computer to engage in offensive communication.
The UCC boss announced on Friday at Imperial Royale Hotel in Kampala during the broadcasters and media owner’s stakeholder engagement meeting, that, in a bid to increase awareness to partly achieve the required deterrence, the Commission had embarked on translating the Computer Misuse Act (as amended) into all major local and native languages of Uganda so that no one is caught unaware.
Nyombi Thembo says that translating this law is important and urgent which is why in two weeks time, a lot of progress will have been made on that project so that community members can access and have their copies to caution their young ones to tread carefully and be aware of the consequences of using their smart phones to engage in offensive communication and hate speech against other people.
Because of rapid urbanization, with more and more cities being established and operationalized, there is growing penetration of smart phones in all regions of Uganda and especially Tik Tok, a video-sharing platform, is now being accessed and used by young and grown-up Ugandans in every part of Uganda, including by content creators who record and make their videos even in local languages.
Salaam Musumba, a leader in Busoga sub region, recently was hosted on Kwezi Media platform and revealed that for many Basogas, the buying of data to be able to keep communicating on Tik Tok had become a bigger priority in many homes than even buying food. This only demonstrates how a growing number of Ugandans are becoming addicted to Tik Tok in every part of Uganda, including rural areas in Busoga.
Many of these have become influencers and opinion shapers within their communities, even when they don’t have any knowledge of the English language. It’s for the benefit of such non-English speaking content creators and influencers that UCC has undertaken to translate the Computer Misuse Act and other relevant laws into all major local languages of Uganda.
The idea to increase awareness about the consequential offences and attendant penalties so that those who engage in or even profit in hate speech and offensive communication can caution themselves and think twice before committing in an offensive manner. (For comments on this story, get back to us on 0705579994 [WhatsApp line], 0779411734 & 041 4674611 or email us at mulengeranews@gmail.com).
