Controversial city lawyer Isaac Ssemakadde tops list of Ugandans that highly disagree with the newly passed computer misuse act, one he termed "Utterly bogus"!
The Human Rights Watchdog Legal Brains Trust CEO says just like the past times where he has fought for anti-democratic laws, he will this time round too challenge this law!
Speaking to a local news Platform, Ssemakadde has this to say, "The law is now legitimately ripe for judicial attack and I expect all freedom loving Individuals and organizations to commence legal action against responsible authorities Uganda is not short of individuals and organizations that are going to continue the tradition of resistance against this law so resistance against democracy-killing laws like this one is not a novel action. This piece of legislation is going to be just another target of a continuing tradition of legal and social justice lawyering. It is just another day in a decaying democracy.” he said.
He added that the old law was already challenged in the Constitutional court and the justice Kavuma sabotaged action. “All heads of the constitutional court have been utterly irresponsible in handling cases in that court, especially concerning computer misuse. I will tell you that there are about 6 cases that have been heard and re-heard about 3 times because the judges failed to deliver the ruling within 60 days. When they get to hear the cases, they don’t deliver rulings within 60 days and something happens either there is a transfer of a judge or a death and instead of offering the ruling or the judgment, parties are called back so there has been a lot of ‘picky ponkey’ around this act.”
The act was fronted by Kampala Central MP Muhammad Nsereko who till this date still validates his move although a big section of the population insists that its a move to infringe on their freedom of expression! Ssemakadde says this law is sinking Uganda further into a decayed democracy. “I expect that Ugandans are going to see for themselves the decayed nature of the judicial system. It has already been decayed because the act itself is enforced exclusively in Buganda road court. So that is the first level of attack.”
Ssemakadde says the regime has fully exposed its anti-democracy credentials and anyone that had any doubt or is fooled by the existence of the institutions of democracy as the only criteria on which to give the regime a pass on democracy has to account for this. “This law is a blunt instrument that will authorize heightened repression, surveillance and militarism. It will provide a cover of legal permission for the most disgraceful forms of surveillance.”
Whereas by the signature of president Museveni, the bill is now a law of Uganda, Ssemakadde says this does not make it right likening it to apartheid in south Africa and colonialism. " Aperthied was legal, apartheid was a system of laws, just like slavery just like colonialism. This law just like these systems of government is dressing up repression, surveillance and militarism as the legal tools through which Museveni wants to practice his rule.” he said!
