Cabinet approves Internet laws

Aug 28, 2008

CABINET has approved three cyber laws, the information and communications technology (ICT) minister, Dr. Ham Mulira, has said.

By David Muwanga

CABINET has approved three cyber laws, the information and communications technology (ICT) minister, Dr. Ham Mulira, has said.

The three laws are the Electronic Transactions Bill, Electronic Signatures Bill and Computer Misuse Bill.

“The Bills will be gazetted by the ministry and tabled before Parliament for approval,” Mulira said.

“When passed, the Bills shall prohibit child pornography, which is one of the worst crimes globally and a taboo here,” Mulira said in an interview at the ministry’s headquarters in Kampala recently. The Bills will regulate all electronic transactions.

He said the final drafts of the Bills would be ready by November and are expected to be operational by the end of the year.

Mulira said Uganda’s ICT developments have attracted countries like Malawi, Burundi, DR Congo and Namibia, which want to use Uganda as a model.

He said Uganda would be the first country in the East African Community (EAC) to implement cyber laws.

“The EAC will have to harmonise their laws with ours and set up a coordinating committee to ensure the laws are in place.”

(adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});