UCC sued over sim card registration

Sunday, 10 February 2013 22:04

Written by SIRAJE LUBWAMA & DEO WALUSIMBI

An MTN Uganda telecom official registering a customer's sim card Journalists under the Human Rights Network for Journalists Uganda - Chapter (HRNJ-U) have gone to Court to block the planned switching off of unregistered sim cards by the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC).

Through Web Advocates and Legal Brain Trust (LBT), HRNJ-U on Thursday filed a civil suit seeking, among other things, a declaration that the UCC order to switch off unregistered SIM-cards by March 1, 2013 or any other deadline set without obtaining parliamentary approval is inoperative, null and void.

“The Applicant [HRNJ] is seeking a declaration that the Respondent [UCC] and their servants or agents have not carried out structured and sufficient public consultations, sensitization and awareness-raising activities to justify the imminent switching off of the users of unregistered SIM-cards on 1st March 2013 or any other deadline set by the Respondents without obtaining parliamentary approval,” the plaint says in part.

Haruna Kanaabi, a former editor of the defunct Shariat and former secretary general of Uganda Journalist Association, is one of four journalists who filed supporting affidavits. He says that when he read both the Regulations of Interception of Communications Act of 2010 and the Regulation of Interception of Communications Instrument, he found them faulty.

Journalists argue that the SIM card registration exercise infringes on the right to privacy and freedom of expression since peoples’ private information is surrendered to private telecommunication companies. Kiboga East MP James Kabajjo and a member on the Parliamentary Committee on ICT gave the journalists’ move on qualified support.

“I appreciate your efforts to advocate for the data protection law because it is important in as far as keeping privacy of Ugandans but the SIM card registration exercise that is ongoing is very important because it will assist government to detect illegal acts like terrorism,” Kabajjo said.

Since last year, telecommunication companies launched a SIM Card registration exercise with the view of introducing measures to track perpetrators of the dangerous acts. The Applicants also want court to find that UCC’s action threatens and undermines the fundamental human rights and freedoms enshrined in Articles 32(1), 35(1) and 36 of the Constitution, because it conducts the SIM card registration process in a manner that is insensitive to persons with disabilities, minorities and marginalized groups.

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-1 #1 kabayekka 2013-02-11 00:14

Indeed this is a dodgy regulatory institution that is trying to play the politics of God on the new technology of a mobile phone.

Silly that this country does not even manufacture a telephone appliance of any kind.

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-2 #2 Paschal 2013-02-11 07:06

But honestly. What is wrong with sim card registration. In my view, this is another case of Africans being resistant to change.

We all by now know the advantages of sim card registration. This is a practice that is done in most of the developed world. The process has been hugely publicized for the past one year. I don't buy this move by journalists even if they could have valid reasons.

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+4 #3 mary 2013-02-11 10:14

The problem is not sim card registration. It is how information about a registered user being kept for what its meant for.

Also, customers are not protected at all by these companies which deduct money airtime for unsubscribed services by these companies and this should also be looked into.

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+2 #4 ntongo 2013-02-11 12:25

I registered very early on last year, and know what yesterday I tried to check if I am actually registered by using sms , I was told that my phone number is not registered.

Question is what happened to all the data which has been collected for a whole year now?
What will happen to my mother's phone which was registered in the village?
Very worrying situation.Cry my beloved country.

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+1 #5 David 2013-02-11 14:38

Quoting Paschal:

But honestly. What is wrong with sim card registration. In my view, this is another case of Africans being resistant to change.

We all by now know the advantages of sim card registration. This is a practice that is done in most of the developed world. The process has been hugely publicized for the past one year. I don't buy this move by journalists even if they could have valid reasons.

Nothing wrong with it But procedure has to be followed, that is what they are just asking

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0 #6 isaack paul 2013-02-11 15:37

kati guys u can't reason it out one of the top government officials has already eaten his/her share on that.. hear came car seat belts, where they, speed governers, but how many accidents do occur in a week. pioneer buses, street cameras, what else do u want me remind u lost sheep

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-1 #7 Tom Watson 2013-02-11 15:53

whoever fights SIM card registration is a person who has been benefiting from cyber crime amongst which GSM technology is part.

Why would u give your details if u have no hidden deals, people have been killed, stolen because of these unknown numbers which are picked off the streets and used. How can one in their normal senses even fight this noble cause.

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+1 #8 kabayekka 2013-02-11 20:46

Mr Tom Watson why do you call debating an issue fighting? Are you literally translating Lunyankore language into the English language? If one has a different opinion from yours in this civilized world, it does not mean he is your enemy.

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0 #9 doctordre 2013-02-12 08:24

Kabayekka what does the Runyankore language have to do with Tom Watson differring with other bloggers? For once leave out ethnicity. It seems you do not like Banyankore since you had to bring runyankore (again, maybe in your "state of Buganda" you can say that).

That said, I see nothing wrong with sim card registration. All we need is reassurance. Even in America, before getting a sim card you have to register it with your passport or ID. Let us face it, once in a while Government will have to monitor our calls for security reasons.

If the authorities abuse the registration then we have the right to sue. Ugandans should not be recalcitrant for the sake of it, that is why there is rot in our society. But we have the right to call for accountability and privacy, so I support those advocate for the aforementioned. As for suing....

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0 #10 Nakasero 2013-02-12 15:01

Ugandans find problems everywhere.It looks like some of us live on the Planet Mars and behave like Marsians!!Messa ge to all Ubelieving Thomases:Did you guy hear about harrassments, bullyings over the phones, terrorists like Al kaida using phones to kill many innocent people in Spain, UK, USA, elswhere?

Did you hear about Al Shabab terrorists who also use cellular phones to comit crime? Did you hear that Al Shabbab killed almost 100 people in Kampala recently? Do you want to be the next one if you live in Uganda?By the way- go to Australia,UK and other countries and guess what? You will be asked to register your sim cards, too?So, why not in Uganda , too??

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0 #11 Lakwena 2013-02-12 16:19

Why didn't they start registering from the very beginning? If it is for mind control and muffling freedom of political expression, they will fail.

Because Radio Katwe is there to stay, vicious Iddi Amin fled to Lybia and thereafter to Saudi Arabia and left it here with Ugandans.

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UCC sued over sim card registration

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