ICT minister backs phone tapping
Mar 27, 2009
The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Aggrey Awori, has said the phone tapping Bill was necessary to protect the citizens and the State.
By Darious Magara
The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Aggrey Awori, has said the phone tapping Bill was necessary to protect the citizens and the State.
He said any responsible government needed a law to curb cyber theft and insecurity. “The Bill is good because it will spell out details of how people’s rights can be protected, their privacy and address national concerns,†he said.
Awori made the remarks after a meeting with the Uganda Communications Commission officials at Communications House in Kampala yesterday. He said the opposition should applaud the Government for its plans to establish a law that would spell out the details on phone tapping operations.
“The Government has been tapping phones, but now wants to make a law. The opposition should actually applaud the Government for the development,†Awori added.
The minister said even the September 11 attack on the World Trade Centre in the US occurred partly as a result of not having a law on phone tapping.
Awori said the American government, even after knowing about the attack, could not stop it since they did not have such a law.
Commenting on his political life, Awori, a former Uganda People’s Congress party stalwart, said he was comfortable with his new position. He said he would use his experience as an opposition politician to work for the development of the country.
UCC Executive director Patrick Masamba said under their 2008-2013 strategic plan, the commission intended to make changes to develop the communications sector.
He said they were strengthening their systems to make a competitive framework to foster innovation and efficiency. The commission was established by the Uganda Communications Act, 1997. It is the Government’s regulatory body of the communications industry.
The Minister of Information and Communication Technology, Aggrey Awori, has said the phone tapping Bill was necessary to protect the citizens and the State.
He said any responsible government needed a law to curb cyber theft and insecurity. “The Bill is good because it will spell out details of how people’s rights can be protected, their privacy and address national concerns,†he said.
Awori made the remarks after a meeting with the Uganda Communications Commission officials at Communications House in Kampala yesterday. He said the opposition should applaud the Government for its plans to establish a law that would spell out the details on phone tapping operations.
“The Government has been tapping phones, but now wants to make a law. The opposition should actually applaud the Government for the development,†Awori added.
The minister said even the September 11 attack on the World Trade Centre in the US occurred partly as a result of not having a law on phone tapping.
Awori said the American government, even after knowing about the attack, could not stop it since they did not have such a law.
Commenting on his political life, Awori, a former Uganda People’s Congress party stalwart, said he was comfortable with his new position. He said he would use his experience as an opposition politician to work for the development of the country.
UCC Executive director Patrick Masamba said under their 2008-2013 strategic plan, the commission intended to make changes to develop the communications sector.
He said they were strengthening their systems to make a competitive framework to foster innovation and efficiency. The commission was established by the Uganda Communications Act, 1997. It is the Government’s regulatory body of the communications industry.