Parliament yesterday passed the Bill that is expected to become law if the President assents to it.
The Bill was, however, passed without debate because most of the members did not understand it. After the ICT committee chairperson, Nathan Igeme Nabeta, presented the committee report to the House, there was no response from members as expected.
When the Speaker, Edward Ssekandi, called for debate, all the legislators stayed glued to their seats. “Hon. Members, do you understand this Bill? I know it is very technical,” Ssekandi said as the MPs murmured, “It is hard. It is dry.”
The Bill provides that an individual who sends unsolicited commercial communications to a person who has advised the sender not to, commits an offence and is liable to five years in prison or a fine of sh4.8m on conviction.
The objective of the Bill is to provide security for the facilitation and regulation of electronic communications and transactions and to encourage the use of e-government service.
The Bill is also aimed at preventing unlawful access, abuse or misuse of information systems, including computers and making a provision for securing the conduct of an electronic environment.
According to the Bill, electronic transaction refers to the sale or purchase of goods and services whether between businesses, individuals or governments and other public or private organisations. The payment or delivery of goods and services is made on or offline.
The ICT minister, Aggrey Awori, while tabling the Bill last year, noted that Uganda needs to optimally exploit ICTs by ensuring that communities, businesses and institutions have access to these new technologies.
When passed, the law shall affect anyone whatever his or her nationality or citizenship and whether he or she is outside or within the country.
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Autor(en)/Author(s): Mary Karugaba and Milton Olupot
Quelle/Source: The New Vision, 07.10.2010
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