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Uganda to Implement Harmonized Cyber Laws

The Ugandan government is almost ready to legislate new cyber laws designed to protect computer users against online crime. Dr. Ham Mulira, the minister for information and communications technology said the laws relate to personal intrusion, con activities, fraud, and national security.

Exploitation of liberalized information could lead to undesirable uses prompting cyber crime. Therefore, legal infrastructure is vital within which to use technologies, explained Dr. Mulira. The government has drafted three bills - Computer Misuse Bill, the Electronics Transaction Bill, and the Digital Signatures Bill, said the ICT minister, as reported by Allafrica.com on July 3, 2007.

Of late, Africa has been experiencing a large flow of Internet fraud and related offenses originating especially from Nigeria. When the said laws get enforced, said Mr. Mulira, they would fill the legal gap and cyber criminals would no longer be able to operate from Uganda as conveniently as before.

Keeping aside Nigeria, African countries, which have been incapable of applying their laws on cyber criminals operating across the borders has resulted in countless fraudulent activities, identity theft, network attacks, spamming and terrorist operations - all types of scams and crimes launched in cyber space.

Senior government officials entrusted with the task of drafting the bills had already completed the job, the Ugandan State Minister for Information, James Buturo had told reporters in July 2006. At present only parliament approval and harmonious formulation of the cyber laws remain.

Uganda, Kenya and Tanzania want these cyber laws to be in harmony with each other so that it is convenient to establish e-government and e-commerce programs, said the East African Community. This community representing the three countries is an intergovernmental organization.

With the support of the United Nations and Canada, the East African Community is due to adopt the process that the South African Development Community has already started. That region comprising of South Africa, Uganda and Nigeria are all beginning to harmonize their laws to indict trans-border cyber criminals.

While Uganda has completely availed itself of the ICTs, it would now be confronting the growth of cyber miscreants, Mr. Mulira said.

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