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06May

Press Freedom at the Crossroads of AI and Democracy

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Juliet Nanfuka |

World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) traces its origins to the landmark Windhoek Declaration in 1991, which called for a free, independent, and pluralistic press as essential to democracy and development and was adopted by UNESCO in 1993. Since then, the media landscape has evolved drastically, shifting from print and broadcast to include various digital media platforms. This new age of journalism has come with complex challenges including privacy violations, disinformation, and algorithmic control.

The theme of this year’s WPFD “Reporting in the brave new world – The impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on press freedom and the media” – is a fitting one especially as across the world,  developments in technology are having an impact not only in how users engage online but also how journalists navigate news production (See example of Nigeria station launching AI news anchors) and distribution. According to UNESCO, “AI is transforming journalism, providing tools that enhance investigative reporting, content creation, and fact-checking. It allows for greater efficiency, multilingual accessibility, and improved data analysis. However, these advancements also bring risks: AI-generated misinformation and disinformation, deepfake technology, biased content moderation, and surveillance threats to journalists.”

Indeed, these risks are contributing to a downward trend in press freedom. For the first time since its inception in 2002, the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) World Press Freedom Index has ranked the global state of press freedom as a “difficult situation”. According to RSF, in over half of the world’s population, press freedom is entirely absent and practicing journalism is particularly dangerous. In many African countries, these challenges are compounded by internet disruptions, low literacy levels, and a persisting digital divide – one likely to be widened by AI.

An inaugural study into journalists safety in Africa by the Collaboration in International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) noted an increase in attacks against journalists, digital media and independent content creators by state and non-state actors through legal and extra-legal measures. With the popularity of and reliance on digital media, governments have been keen on monitoring and regulating online spaces and surveilling journalists thus undermining their privacy and safety.

See: The State of Media Freedom and Safety of Journalists in Africa Report

CIPESA has worked to address the challenges of journalist safety including through research into the pathways and effects of disinformation, campaigns such as  #WeekOfSafety which complemented multi-stakeholder dialogues promoting journalist safety and digital resilience in an age of disinformation and AI. With support from the Africa Digital Rights Fund (ADRF), CIPESA has also bridged funding gaps for media safety and integrity initiatives and supported research and training aimed at countering digital threats. At the Uganda national commemoration of WPFD hosted by the Uganda Media Sector Working Group (UMSWG) this year,  CIPESA will host a digital security clinic and workshop on misinformation and disinformation.

At the recently concluded Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF) hosted by Paradigm Initiative, CIPESA participated in a high-level panel hosted by Media Monitoring Africa (MMA) and UNESCO which served as the launch of consultations on the African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights (ACHPR)  Resolution on developing Guidelines to assist States monitor technology companies in respect of their duty to maintain information integrity through independent fact checking – ACHPR/Res.630 (LXXXII) 2025. Adopted by the ACHPR meeting at its 82nd Ordinary Session in March 2025, the resolution notes the “regress by technology companies with regard to information integrity and online protection of expression and access to information”. The Commission calls upon the Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Expression and Access to Information in Africa to develop guidelines that can enable States Parties to effectively monitor platforms’ performance in order to inform efforts to advance information integrity online, including the role of independent fact-checking in the African context.

Indeed, at a time when civic space is shrinking while press freedom and access to information are facing even greater challenges, it is only fitting that that the annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) hosted by CIPESA heads to Windhoek, Namibia to provide a platform to take stock of the various shifts in the technology landscape that have come to inform the media landscape and to tap into the opportunities that can help shape the internet we want such as through contributing to the development of the afore mentioned guidelines.  

See: Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2025 

The legacy of the 1991 Windhoek Declaration will carry into FIFAfrica25 as the role of technology in enabling the realisation of democracy and development will be the cornerstone of many discussions especially the role it plays in building inclusive, participatory, and democratic societies in the face of AI.

28Apr

Uganda Steps Up Pressure on Social Media Critics Ahead of 2026 Polls

Author CIPESA Posted on

By Peter Mwesige and Edrine Wanyama |

As Uganda inches closer to the 2026 general elections, state pressure on digital expression is intensifying. A wave of arrests, warnings, and regulatory threats is targeting online critics – particularly users of TikTok, X (formerly Twitter), and YouTube – raising concerns over the shrinking space for free expression and political dissent in the digital sphere.

This emerging crackdown reflects long-standing government discomfort with the influence of social media in political discourse, civic engagement, and political mobilisation. In a country where traditional media are increasingly constrained, social media has become a vital platform for citizens to access information, express opinions, and hold leaders to account. But as past election cycles in 2016 and 2021 have shown, authorities often treat digital civic engagement as a threat to stability, rather than a cornerstone of democratic participation.

Recent Arrests Spark Alarm

In recent months, a string of arrests has drawn attention to the government’s increasingly punitive approach to online dissent. In November 2024, three TikTokers were arrested and charged under the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022 with “hate speech” and “spreading malicious information”. Their alleged offence? Posting videos deemed insulting to President Yoweri Museveni, the First Lady, and other high-ranking officials.

Just days later, a 21-year-old TikToker was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison for what prosecutors described as ridiculing and spreading hate speech and malicious information against President Museveni and his family. Emmanuel Nabugodi, who was also charged under the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, allegedly posted a video of a mock trial of the President and called for his public flogging. 

Under section 26 of the Computer Misuse Act, it is an offence to “…share any information through a computer, which is likely to- (a) ridicule, degrade, or demean another person, group of persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion, or gender; (b) create divisions among persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion, or gender; or (c) promote hostility against a person, group of persons, a tribe, an ethnicity, a religion or gender.”  

In July 2024, a 24-year-old TikToker had been sentenced to six years in prison for insulting the President, First Lady Janet Museveni, and the First Son Muhoozi Kainerugaba, who is also the Chief of Defence Forces. 

That same month the former Rubaga Division Deputy Resident City Commissioner, Herbert Anderson Burora, was charged in court with spreading hate speech and malicious information about the Speaker of Parliament via his X handle. Burora, who spent three weeks on remand in prison, was released on bail. Comedians like Obed Lubega have also found themselves in the crosshairs, facing arrest and charges of “social media misuse” for politically themed satire.

This pattern mirrors earlier arrests of online critics. In 2019, academic and activist Stella Nyanzi, who was charged under the Computer Misuse Act, 2011 for allegedly harassing and annoying President Museveni in a Facebook post, was convicted and sentenced to 18 months in prison. Dr Nyanzi, who had spent nine months in prison, was convicted of “cyber harassment”. She was acquitted on appeal in February 2020, after spending 15 months in prison. She relocated to Germany in 2022.

In January 2022, novelist and activist Kakwenza Rukirabashaija was charged with offensive communication under the same law for allegedly insulting President Museveni and his son Kainerugaba on Twitter. Kakwenza, who was tortured while in detention, fled into exile in February 2022, after he was released on bail.

Legal Tools for Suppression

Uganda’s legal framework provides broad latitude for the suppression of digital expression. The Computer Misuse Act under section 29(5) criminalises a wide range of online behaviour, including “sending unsolicited messages,” “sharing malicious information,” and broadly defined “misuse” of social media. These vague provisions give authorities sweeping powers to arrest and prosecute individuals for content that would otherwise be protected under the Constitution.

Although the Penal Code provisions on the publication of false news and on sedition were repealed by the Supreme Court in 2004 and the Constitutional Court in 2010 respectively –  the Uganda Law Revision (Miscellaneous Amendments) Act, 2023 formally repealed these offences in the Penal Code – their spirit lives on in new laws and administrative practices. 

The Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) has become a central actor in this environment, frequently issuing threats to online content creators and broadcasters, and accusing them of violating “public morality” and “minimum broadcasting standards.”

In October 2024, the UCC warned media houses that their employees’ online conduct could cost them their broadcast licences. Employers were urged to police their staff’s social media posts and enforce compliance with internal policies – a move that blurs the line between professional oversight and state-enforced censorship.

Surveillance and Policy Threats

Alongside prosecutions and regulatory threats, the Ugandan government is ramping up surveillance of digital platforms. The planned importation of AI-powered equipment to monitor social media activity, as recently disclosed by the UCC, is raising red flags among digital rights advocates. The technology is reportedly intended to filter out so-called “harmful content,” including hate speech, disinformation, and incitement. However, without transparent oversight and public safeguards, such measures risk becoming tools of censorship rather than protection.

The state’s track record heightens these concerns. During the 2021 elections, Uganda experienced a near-total internet shutdown. In 2016, social media and mobile money services were blocked. And since January 2021, Facebook has remained inaccessible in Uganda due to a standoff with the government over the platform’s removal of pro-government accounts.

These precedents suggest that the government views online platforms not as forums for democratic exchange but as threats to political control. With elections on the horizon, similar disruptions could lie ahead.

Disinformation as a Pretext

Efforts to combat disinformation – while necessary in any democracy – are also being weaponised. The UCC’s recent “Dis-Mis Fake News Campaign,” launched in partnership with the Next Media Group, aims to address the proliferation of false information online. Yet statements condemning “explicit” or “offensive” content frequently target political commentary and satire rather than genuinely harmful content.

The blurring of lines between disinformation control and censorship underscores the need for balanced, rights-respecting approaches. Without clear definitions, independent oversight, and meaningful public input, anti-disinformation efforts can too easily be turned against legitimate expression.

A Chilling Effect

The cumulative effect of arrests, prosecutions, surveillance, and regulatory overreach is a chilling of free expression. Content creators, journalists, and ordinary citizens are increasingly engaging in self-censorship out of fear of legal repercussions or job loss. The pressure extends beyond individuals to media houses and telecom companies, many of which feel compelled to comply with state directives even when they infringe on constitutional rights.

This environment undermines Uganda’s commitments under national and international human rights law. Freedom of expression, access to information, and the right to privacy are not privileges to be granted or revoked; they are fundamental rights that should be protected, especially during elections.

The United Nations Human Rights Committee has stated in its General Comment No 34 on Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) that laws that provide special protection to public figures, such as “insult laws”, are not justifiable as they often suppress legitimate criticism. The UN Human Rights Committee adds that criminal penalties for insult laws are disproportionate and risk having a chilling effect on freedom of speech. 

The Way Forward

To safeguard Uganda’s digital civic space in the lead-up to the 2026 elections, urgent action is needed. Laws that criminalise online expression must be reviewed and aligned with human rights standards. Regulatory bodies like the UCC must act independently and transparently, with clear mandates focused on enabling – not stifling – public discourse.

More broadly, the government, civil society, media, and the private sector must commit to upholding digital rights as integral to democratic participation. As Uganda prepares to head to the next elections, the internet must remain a space for open dialogue, not a battlefield for repression.

25Apr

CIPESA at DRIF25: Here is where you can find us!

Author CIPESA Posted on

By CIPESA Writer |

From April 29 to May 1, 2025, Paradigm Initiative will host the Digital Rights and Inclusion Forum (DRIF25) in Lusaka, Zambia, where it will bring together a diverse community to explore key questions around access, power, and participation in the digital age. As a regular contributor and participant of DRIF, this year, the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) looks forward to participating in multiple workshops and sessions across the three-day event, engaging on themes that reflect our continued commitment to promoting inclusive and effective use of ICT in Africa for improved governance and livelihoods.

We look forward to hosting a session on tech accountability while also joining sessions hosted by various partners including the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UN OHCHR), Atlantic Council, Meta, African Digital Rights Network (ADRN), Fundación Karisma, SocialTIC, TEDIC, Tech & Media Convergency (TMC) and Rudi International.

Additionally, CIPESA will manage a digital resilience walk-in clinic/helpdesk where participants can get their digital devices assessed. Alongside CIPESA will be Digital Defenders Partnership,  Digital Society of Africa, Defenders Protection Initiative, Derechos Digitales and Thraets. This compliments CIPESA digital resilience efforts  including through a continuous needs assessment running for organisations across Africa.

To Moderate or Not to Moderate: Enhancing Tech-Accountability on the Internet

Room 6 | April 30 | 10:20 AM – 11:20 AM
Host: CIPESA
This session will delve into the urgent need for effective online content moderation to ensure a healthy, safe, and inclusive digital arena. Discussions will explore the growing calls for greater tech accountability, particularly in addressing the harms caused by misinformation and disinformation increasingly amplified by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Panelists will examine the balance between protecting users from harmful content and upholding community standards, enhancing user experience, safeguarding brand reputation, and ensuring compliance with national and international legal frameworks.

Strengthening Rights-Respecting Content Governance through South-South Collaboration: Trends and Opportunities in Africa and Latin America

Room 1 | April 29 | 12:10 PM – 1:10 PM
Host: UN OHCHR
This session will explore the potential for shared strategies and cooperation between Africa and Latin America in shaping content governance frameworks that respect rights and reflect regional realities. The session will examine opportunities for a South-South cooperation on rights-respecting content governance with focus on Africa and Latin America (LATAM). It will explore key trends, lessons, and tactics on rights-respecting content governance in both regions, collaboration and resource disparities in content governance between Global North and South-South systems.

Tech, Power, and Governance: The Policy Landscape in South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zambia

Room 5 | April 30 | 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM
Host: Atlantic Council
This panel takes a closer look at the fast-changing AI and digital policy environments in leading African countries, unpacking governance models, legislative shifts, and national strategies shaping the continent’s tech future. The session is based upon a report by the Digital Forensic Research (DFR) Lab, which explores how five African countries—South Africa, Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana, and Zambia—are strategically navigating the governance of new technologies to enrich their citizens’ lives while mitigating potential risks. It focuses on three key technology domains, namely: connectivity, digital public infrastructure, and artificial intelligence (AI). The session aims to help identify advocacy opportunities that unite activists and experts from different countries across the African continent.

Open or Closed? Exploring the Implications of Open Source vs. Proprietary AI Systems in Africa

Room 1 | April 30 | 4:10 PM – 5:10 PM
Host: Meta
The use of AI technology is increasingly prevalent in Africa, with both open-source and proprietary systems being employed to address various social, economic, and environmental challenges. However, the choice between these two approaches has significant implications for human rights and ethics, particularly in the context of data ownership, surveillance, and digital divide. The aim of this panel is to facilitate a discussion on the human rights and ethical implications of open source and proprietary systems in Africa, with a focus on exploring the benefits and challenges of each approach.

Defining and Theorising Digital Rights: As Entitlements, as a Framework, and as a Movement

Room 4 | May 1, | 9:50 AM – 10:50 AM
Host: African Digital Rights Network (ADRN)
A deep dive into what “digital rights” means across different contexts, this session aims to develop a shared language and theoretical grounding to strengthen advocacy across the continent. This is important as the term is used to mean a range of different things by different people. Digital rights can be understood as a set of legal entitlements but also as a framework for evaluating technologies, projects and policies or as a form of collective action to address technology-related injustices. This sessions asks what different meanings of digital rights exist, whether it matters, and whether digital rights should be an end in themselves or a means to an end.

Leveraging Civil Society’s Capacities in Adopting Open-Source Monitoring Technologies for Early Digital Threat Detection

Room 4 | May 1, | 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Host: Fundación Karisma, SocialTIC, TEDIC, and CIPESA
In this session, the Blue Team tools project will be presented. It is an initiative aimed at  leveraging civil societies’ capacities in adopting open-source monitoring technologies for early digital threat detections, such as equipment surveillance and network monitoring, among others. By presenting the implementation case studies in Latin America, the session will shed light on the difficulties of adopting surveillance monitoring technologies by already under-resourced grass-root organisations and draw parallels between the opportunities and challenges of both Latin American and African organisations in adopting said technologies.

Digital Ubuntu: Empowering African CSOs with Practical and Inclusive Skills to Build Strong Digital Rights Organisations

Room 3 | May 1, | 8:40 – 9:40 AM
Host:  Tech & Media Convergency (TMC) & Rudi International
The workshop aims to support emerging civil society organisations with practical skills in order to help them build strong institutions as they work to build sustainable and inclusive digital rights advocacy in the Global South. This full-day workshop will bring together both seasoned and emerging digital rights advocates to explore solutions for promoting digital justice.

Central to the workshop is Digital Ubuntu, a philosophy rooted in interconnectedness, shared responsibility, and community-oriented solutions, fostering collective responsibility among governmental, non-governmental, and civil society actors.

All sessions will take place at the Mulungushi International Conference Centre.

22Apr

The Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa 2025 (FIFAfrica25) Heads to Namibia!

Author CIPESA Posted on

FIFAfrica |

The Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) is pleased to announce the 12th edition of the annual Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (#FIFAfrica25)—the continent’s leading platform for shaping digital rights, inclusion, and governance conversations. This year, the Forum is headed to Windhoek, Namibia, a beacon of press freedom, gender equity, and progressive jurisprudence, and will take place on September 24–26, 2025.

Namibia ranks highest in Africa on global press freedom indices and is equally highly ranked on the Freedom in the World index, where it is categorised as Free. In 2025, it made history with women at the helm of the Presidency, Vice Presidency, and National Assembly, a key moment for gender inclusion and in the country’s political landscape. The country has made considerable efforts to uphold public rights such as through rejecting efforts by the Central Intelligence Service to block reporting on corruption; ruling  against the unconstitutional collection of telecom revenue, and reinforcing legal safeguards in digital regulation. While outdated laws still pose challenges and a data protection bill is pending, Namibia is actively updating its legal frameworks.

It is against this backdrop that FIFAfrica25 will delve into the evolving digital landscape in Africa and cast a light on the most pressing internet freedom issues today. The Forum offers a unique, multi-stakeholder platform where key stakeholders, including policymakers, journalists, global platform operators, telecommunications companies, regulators, human rights defenders, academia, and law enforcement representatives convene to deliberate and craft rights-based responses for a resilient and inclusive digital society for Africans.

As digital technologies shape Africa’s political, economic, and social landscape, safeguarding digital rights is essential to building inclusive, participatory, and democratic societies. Key themes at FIFAfrica25 will include:

  • AI, Digital Governance, and Human Rights
  • Disinformation and Platform Accountability
  • Internet Shutdowns
  • Digital Inclusion
  • Digital Trade in Africa
  • Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI)
  • Digital Safety and Resilience

The Forum will also serve to gather insights that will shape Africa’s voice in global digital governance processes like WSIS+20 and the Global Digital Compact. These global processes represent critical opportunities for African voices to influence the emerging digital and AI governance agendas. Additionally, the 2025 edition of the annual State of Internet Freedom in Africa report will be launched.

Get Involved with FIFAfrica25

Over the years, the Forum has been co-hosted with various government ministries, regional and national partners, and a vibrant network of collaborators. Together, this community have made FIFAfrica come alive over the years and illustrated a commitment towards building an inclusive digital rights ecosystem. This network of actors committed to have also supported the growth and evolution of the Forum. 

Partner with us, host a side event, or support the participation of individuals who might otherwise be unable to attend the Forum. See more about becoming an ally or supporter here.

About FIFAfrica

FIFAfrica25 will be the third edition to be hosted in Southern Africa. Previous editions have been hosted in Uganda, South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania and Senegal. The Forum objectives include the following:

  1. Enhance Networking and Collaboration: Provide a platform that assembles African thought leaders and networks working on internet freedom from diverse stakeholder groups.
  2. Promote Access To Information: Since its inception, FIFAfrica has commemorated September 28, the International Day for Universal Access to Information (IDUAI), creating awareness about access to information offline and online and its connection to wider freedoms and democratic participation.
  3. Practical Skills and Knowledge Development: The Forum features pre-event practical training workshops for various stakeholders on a range of internet freedom issues, including technical aspects of internet access, policy developments, digital resilience, and advocacy strategies.
  4. Showcase Advocacy Efforts: Provide a space for entities advancing digital rights to showcase their work through artistic installations, photography, reports, interactive platforms and physical stalls with organisational representatives.
  5. Connect Research to Policy Discussions: The annual State of Internet Freedom in Africa report, a themed report produced by CIPESA, has been launched at FIFAfrica since 2014. The report has served to inform policy and advocacy efforts around the continent.
  6. Strategic Networks: Serve as a platform for strategic meetings to be held, offering various African and global networks the opportunity to directly engage with each other and with the extended digital rights community.
22Apr

A Tribute to FIFAfrica’s Allies and Supporters

Author CIPESA Posted on

FIFAfrica |

Since its inception in 2014, the Forum on Internet Freedom in Africa (FIFAfrica) has grown to become the continent’s leading assembly of actors instrumental in shaping conversations on digital rights, data governance, digital inclusion, and the intersection of technology with society and the economy. It has become the stage for concerted efforts to advance digital rights.

Built upon a multi-stakeholder model on internet governance, the Forum places a free, open and secure internet directly on the agendas of key stakeholders, including policymakers, journalists, activists, global platform operators, telecommunications companies, regulators, human rights defenders, academia, and law enforcement.

At the heart of the Forum is an ecosystem of organisations that have, over the years, stood alongside the Collaboration on International ICT Policy for East and Southern Africa (CIPESA) in its pursuit of effective and inclusive digital governance in Africa.

We appreciate and honour the support, partnership, and solidarity of the institutions, foundations, development agencies, and networks that have made FIFAfrica come alive from its earliest editions hosted in Kampala to more recent convenings across South Africa, Ghana, Ethiopia, Zambia, Tanzania, and Senegal. These supporters have offered resources, strategic insights, and co-created platforms for engagement in addition to supporting the participation of an extended community of actors key to advancing internet freedom in Africa. Additionally, their contributions have supported research, advocacy, community mobilisation, skill-building, and policy engagement not only at the Forum but also across the continent through the work of CIPESA.

The allies and supporters of FIFAfrica have helped create safe spaces for human rights defenders, technologists, policymakers, and researchers to connect and collaborate. It also serves to elevate underrepresented voices, particularly those of women, vulnerable, and marginalised communities. It has created platforms for discourse and pushback against internet shutdowns, online harassment, digital exclusion, and surveillance.

Meet the Allies and Supporters of FIFAfrica Over the Years

Partners in Co-Hosting and Groundwork

FIFAfrica has also benefited immensely from regional and national partners, as well as government ministries that have joined hands to co-host the Forum. These partnerships have helped localise the Forum and build greater awareness with the host country and beyond. Partners have included:

FIFAfrica is in a constant state of evolution and has grown from an assembly of just 80 attendees to well over 500 participants at the most recent Forum in Dakar.

Join the community of Allies and Supporters

From all of us at CIPESA, THANK YOU for being part of this movement. We look forward to strengthening our collaborations and welcoming new allies as we continue evolving the Forum in response to the change digital landscape.

Interested in supporting or partnering for FIFAfrica25? Here is a form to guide you on joining the community of allies and supporters.

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