The Chief Magistrates’ Court has adjourned until February 2016 the case in which a Makerere University law student dragged Ugandas’ communications body to court over unlawfully withholding information.
Saasi Marvin, a 3rd year law student at the university and a writer with us here at www.campusbee.ug, sued Uganda Communications Commission (UCC) after the body refused to accede to his request to avail him with certain information regarding the digital migration process.
The suit followed the expiry of the statutory 21 days under the Access to Information Act (2005) within which the body was supposed to respond to his request.
Saasi argues that as a citizen of Uganda he is empowered by Art. 41 of the Constitution to seek information from a public body such as UCC. “The information I requested for would have tended to prove that UCC was conducting the digital migration process without following the right procedures.” says Saasi.
UCC switched off analog television signals in June this year citing an international legal instrument that required it to do so. The action condemned a number of citizens who had not yet purchased digital tv decoders as well as those who couldn’t afford to pay monthly subscription to an information blackout.
The case will resume on 15th February 2016 at 3pm.
