Stop enacting anti-human rights laws, MPs told

UHRC chairperson Meddie Kaggwa. Photo by Francis Emorut 

Uganda Human Rights Commission (UHRC) chairperson, Meddie Kaggwa, has cautioned Parliament against enacting laws that are anti-human rights because they could later turn against them when they are out of parliament.

Appearing before the Information and Communication Technology committee on Thursday, Kaggwa said some laws and regulations by government may look harmless on the surface but later become dangerous to both the legislators and the citizens.

Citing the Anti- terrorism Act and the Land Act, Kaggwa noted that the commission protested a number of issues especially on phone tapping but some people in power argued that there was no problem with that.

"It was until when the law caught up with them that they started complaining that the law violets human rights," he said.

Kaggwa was appearing before the committee chaired by Maxwell Akora over Uganda Communications Amendment Bill 2016.

The Bill seeks to amend only one provision of the Act which concerns the manner in which regulations in respect to the Act are developed and enacted.

The Bill amends section 93 (1) of the Act by removing the requirement of parliamentary approval before the minister can make regulations concerning the effective implementation of the Act.

Government argues that the requirement would delay the process given the dynamics in which the media operates in.

Kaggwa insisted that the provision should be maintained for oversight and ensure checks and balances.