Pornography Bill in offing
Mar 20, 2009
Information communication and technology minister Aggrey Awori on Wednesday took his oath as an ex-officio Member of Parliament amidst cheers from NRM MPs.<br><br>After taking his oath, Awori tabled three bills, the Computer Misuse Bill 2008, Electronic
Information communication and technology minister Aggrey Awori on Wednesday took his oath as an ex-officio Member of Parliament amidst cheers from NRM MPs.
After taking his oath, Awori tabled three bills, the Computer Misuse Bill 2008, Electronic Transaction Bill 2008 and the Electronic Signatures Bill 2008. Awori was previously an outspoken member of the Uganda People’s Congress who has since crossed over to the ruling NRM. Alice Alaso (FDC) who welcomed the new minister on behalf of the Opposition appealed to him to use ICT to stump out electoral malpractice. The Computer Misuse Bill 2008, seeks to provide safety and security of electronic transactions and information systems. Computer misuse, according to the Bill, is the “unauthorised access to private computers and network systems, deliberate corruption and destruction of other people’s data, disrupting the network or systems.†If passed, the Bill will also criminalise the downloading, viewing and manipulation of offensive or obscene material such as pornography, scenes of violence and display of indecent photographs of children. Electronic fraudsters will face a jail sentence of up to seven years and or, a fine not exceeding sh3.3m Unauthorised access to a computer will carry a fine of sh240,000 and or six months imprisonment, while unauthorised modification of computer material will carry a fine not exceeding sh2.4m and or, a jail term of not more than five years.
Ex-mayor cited in irregular land allocation
Former Kampala mayor, John Ssebana Kizito has been cited in the irregular allocation of Kampala City Council’s prime plots. Appearing before the local governmnet accounts committee, Ruth Kijjambu, the KCC town clerk said while still a mayor, Ssebana ordered the allocation of land to the British High Commission. The report states that KCC sold land on plots 2A and 25 Windsor Loop to the British High Commission at sh202.55m, plot 82-94 Yusuf Lule Road to Kandar Investments at sh800m, without following the PPDA Act which requires sale of public assets by public tendering and approval by the local government tender board. Kijjambu said KCC also sold a house on plot 40A on Windsor Crescent at sh70m to Kewaza Muwonge and M822 Yusuf Lule Road at sh450m to Kandar by a private treaty. Kewaza is the current deputy town clerk. The MPs reasoned that the plots were sold at a give away price. Kijjambu said the instructions for the sale came from the mayor's (Ssebana) office.
Lawyers want phone tapping checked
UGANDA Law Society wants the power of authorising tapping of mobile phones to be given to High Court judges instead of the security minister. Society president Oscar Kihika said, they were proposing that a section be put in the Bill to set up an independent tribunal to which the public can take their grievances in case their information was wrongly tapped. Appearing before the ICT committee, Kihika noted that the security minister would misuse the power to infringe on people’s privacy. He warned that security minister, chief of defence forces, the spy and Police chiefs were government agents who should be checked by the judiciary. Security minister Amama Mbabazi recently presented the Bill to the committee for scrutiny.
Premature babies share incubator at Mulago hospital
MPs on the social service committee were on Monday shocked by the appalling condition of Mulago Hospital.
Guided by the hospital director, Dr. Edward Dumba, the MPs found three pre-mature babies in the intensive care unit sharing an incubator, as a result of inadequate equipment. Dr, Jamiru Mugalu, the head of the unit, noted that sharing an incubator poses high risks of spreading infections among the babies. Mugalu explained that the unit has five incubators, out of which only two are functional, while in the others, nurses have to fix bulbs to improvise.
Water, Lands officials in trouble over sh13b
The Permanent Secretaries of water and lands ministry were on Tuesday ordered to account for missing funds totaling sh13b meant for procurement. Lands PS Gabindadde-Musoke, the accounting officer and his colleague, David Obong, for water, failed to explain why the accountability documents were missing before the public accounts committee. Chairman Nandala Mafabi said about sh13b worth of taxpayers’ money was spent on non-existent deals. He gave the officials 48 hours to bring the documents.
After taking his oath, Awori tabled three bills, the Computer Misuse Bill 2008, Electronic Transaction Bill 2008 and the Electronic Signatures Bill 2008. Awori was previously an outspoken member of the Uganda People’s Congress who has since crossed over to the ruling NRM. Alice Alaso (FDC) who welcomed the new minister on behalf of the Opposition appealed to him to use ICT to stump out electoral malpractice. The Computer Misuse Bill 2008, seeks to provide safety and security of electronic transactions and information systems. Computer misuse, according to the Bill, is the “unauthorised access to private computers and network systems, deliberate corruption and destruction of other people’s data, disrupting the network or systems.†If passed, the Bill will also criminalise the downloading, viewing and manipulation of offensive or obscene material such as pornography, scenes of violence and display of indecent photographs of children. Electronic fraudsters will face a jail sentence of up to seven years and or, a fine not exceeding sh3.3m Unauthorised access to a computer will carry a fine of sh240,000 and or six months imprisonment, while unauthorised modification of computer material will carry a fine not exceeding sh2.4m and or, a jail term of not more than five years.
Ex-mayor cited in irregular land allocation
Former Kampala mayor, John Ssebana Kizito has been cited in the irregular allocation of Kampala City Council’s prime plots. Appearing before the local governmnet accounts committee, Ruth Kijjambu, the KCC town clerk said while still a mayor, Ssebana ordered the allocation of land to the British High Commission. The report states that KCC sold land on plots 2A and 25 Windsor Loop to the British High Commission at sh202.55m, plot 82-94 Yusuf Lule Road to Kandar Investments at sh800m, without following the PPDA Act which requires sale of public assets by public tendering and approval by the local government tender board. Kijjambu said KCC also sold a house on plot 40A on Windsor Crescent at sh70m to Kewaza Muwonge and M822 Yusuf Lule Road at sh450m to Kandar by a private treaty. Kewaza is the current deputy town clerk. The MPs reasoned that the plots were sold at a give away price. Kijjambu said the instructions for the sale came from the mayor's (Ssebana) office.
Lawyers want phone tapping checked
UGANDA Law Society wants the power of authorising tapping of mobile phones to be given to High Court judges instead of the security minister. Society president Oscar Kihika said, they were proposing that a section be put in the Bill to set up an independent tribunal to which the public can take their grievances in case their information was wrongly tapped. Appearing before the ICT committee, Kihika noted that the security minister would misuse the power to infringe on people’s privacy. He warned that security minister, chief of defence forces, the spy and Police chiefs were government agents who should be checked by the judiciary. Security minister Amama Mbabazi recently presented the Bill to the committee for scrutiny.
Premature babies share incubator at Mulago hospital
MPs on the social service committee were on Monday shocked by the appalling condition of Mulago Hospital.
Guided by the hospital director, Dr. Edward Dumba, the MPs found three pre-mature babies in the intensive care unit sharing an incubator, as a result of inadequate equipment. Dr, Jamiru Mugalu, the head of the unit, noted that sharing an incubator poses high risks of spreading infections among the babies. Mugalu explained that the unit has five incubators, out of which only two are functional, while in the others, nurses have to fix bulbs to improvise.
Water, Lands officials in trouble over sh13b
The Permanent Secretaries of water and lands ministry were on Tuesday ordered to account for missing funds totaling sh13b meant for procurement. Lands PS Gabindadde-Musoke, the accounting officer and his colleague, David Obong, for water, failed to explain why the accountability documents were missing before the public accounts committee. Chairman Nandala Mafabi said about sh13b worth of taxpayers’ money was spent on non-existent deals. He gave the officials 48 hours to bring the documents.