This archive report was first published on 15 August 2019.
On August 15, 2019, Uganda's communications regulator, the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), announced plans to require social media influencers and users with large followings to register their activities.
The move, which could target journalists, musicians, socialites, and even politicians, aims to 'clampdown on immoral or prejudiced content' and will attract a standard fee of $20 (about Sh2,000).
According to UCC spokesperson Ibrahim Bbosa, the 'data communicators' to be registered include online accounts that carried ads and other content on platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
Critics view this latest development as part of an escalating campaign by President Yoweri Museveni to suppress online content that is deemed critical of him and his government.
Recently, university lecturer and activist Stella Nyanzi was jailed for 18 months on cyber harassment charges stemming from a Facebook post criticizing Museveni, who has ruled the country for over three decades.
