Uganda Constitutional Court Revers Communications law Used To Persecute Journalists And Critics Of The Government.

The judges ruled that prohibiting people from using electronic communication to disturb the peace of others curtailed freedom of speech.

Punishments for offenders ranged from a fine to a jail term.

Writer Kakwenza Rukirababashaija and the academic Stella Nyanzi were among activists who were either been charged or convicted under the law.

Rukirababashaija had made critical comments on Twitter about President Yoweri Museveni and his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, whom he called “obese” and a “curmudgeon”.

The author had also tweeted that “the Musevenis have imposed enormous suffering on this country”.

Uganda’s Constitutional Court has quashed a section of a communications law that had been used to prosecute journalists and critics of the government.

The judges ruled that prohibiting people from using electronic communication to disturb the peace of others curtailed freedom of speech.

Punishments for offenders ranged from a fine to a jail term.

Writer Kakwenza Rukirababashaija and the academic Stella Nyanzi were among activists who were either been charged or convicted under the law.

Rukirababashaija had made critical comments on Twitter about President Yoweri Museveni and his son Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba, whom he called “obese” and a “curmudgeon”.

The author had also tweeted that “the Musevenis have imposed enormous suffering on this country”.