The former Senior Presidential Press Secretary, Joseph Tamale Mirundi has claimed President Yoweri Museveni signed the Computer Misuse bill into law ignorantly, without knowing the intentions of the framers.
Appearing on a local YouTube media channel on Tuesday, Mirundi said the law which the President signed is intended to fail and tarnish his style of governance and legacy.
“Once a government loses public trust and confidence, everything it does becomes a referendum. Ugandans no longer care about what the government does. And I’m cautioning Museveni that once Ugandans get used to this kind of evil leadership, he will face it rough because people no longer trust this government, that is why they are resorting to over legislation, this is not right,” the veteran journalist remarked.
Mirundi also explained that over legislation in governance is not a good approach because a country is not led by legislation but by persuasion. He added that political power is driven by influence and advantage, not forced by legislation.
“Over legislating means President Museveni has lost people’s confidence, so he no longer has the power to convince the masses. You will never influence the media by peddling it to your side. A pen is mightier than a gun that is why American President Abraham Lincoln said it’s better to live in a country with media but without a gun. Andrew Cohen when he was launching Radio Uganda in 1954, said that a government without a media institution is comparable to a dump politician who thinks that they can win a competitive election,” he said.
The Senior Presidential Advisor on Media Affairs however slammed Kampala Central legislator Muhammad Nsereko for being used by Mafias to come up with a bill that has already soiled his political career.
“Nsereko and the Parliament will face it rough…….This law was specifically brought to bring Museveni down because at a time when the government is still struggling to improve its image on Human Rights and why then bring such a draconian law?” Mirundi wondered.
“Secondly, President Museveni has failed to find out why this law came from Nsereko who is an independent. Why did NRM members front it? This is because those sponsoring it are anti-Museveni. I can assure you that he signed this law without knowing the hidden agenda.”
He also questioned why Museveni did not first find out why among the East African countries, Uganda is the only country with such a law.
Mirundi’s statement comes at a time when President Museveni has assented to the Computer Misuse (Amendment) Act, 2022.
However, President’s move to assent to the law has since triggered public debate where some members of civil societies have challenged it already in the courts of law.
The law, among others, will penalize a person to a fine of more than Shs9m or imprisonment of more than 10 years if they are found culpable of accessing, without authorisation, another person’s information, data, voice or video records.
It will also penalise those who invade children’s privacy and share their information without the consent of their parents or guardians.
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