You can’t force govt to open Facebook, says ICT minister

The government has maintained a tight grip on Facebook clampdown, saying nobody will force it to open the social media platform.

In a telephone interview with this publication on Wednesday, the Minister for ICT and National Guidance, Dr Chris Baryomunsi, told traders under their association Urban Smart Traders Association (USTA) who have threatened to drag government to court for blocking the social media site that the government will open Facebook when they are ready.

“Government has been engaging Facebook on a number of things which have not been agreed on that is why Facebook has not been opened,” he said.
In a press briefing in Kampala on Wednesday, Facebook traders gave the government an ultimatum of 14 days to open the social media site or else they go to court.

Mr Badru Kabogoza Nsamu, the chairperson of USTA, said Facebook was a big platform where they were trading their goods.
“We have lost billions of shillings since Facebook was closed, we have lost customers and also our businesses have come to a standstill. The [social site] should be restored because it is also a business platform and not a political platform,” Mr Kabogoza said.

“Times have changed and businesses have gone online that is why the government has to open Facebook,” he added.
Mr Luyimbazi Nalukoola, the lawyer of the aggrieved party, said the actions of the government amount to infringement of fundamental human rights and freedoms.

“We received instructions from our client to institute legal proceedings if Facebook is not unblocked within 14 days from the day of notice, you furnish in our chambers a sum of Shs200 billion as damages for atonement of told and untold suffering meted upon our client’s members,” Mr Nalukoola said.

He noted that Facebook is the main online digital platform, linking Ugandan products and services onto the international digital market. 
Mr Nalukoola also added that It’s continued closure threatens the online economic network which would otherwise be the avenue for promotion of import, export, tourism creation, sports, music and art to the rest of the world.

“It is, therefore, our considered view that the said actions are alien in a free and democratic society, considering that the world’s economies are apparently anchored on technology, especially e-commerce,” Mr Nalukoola said.

Background
     In 2021, the government blocked facebook ahead of the general elections and a number of Ugandans now access the social media platform through Virtual Private Networks while others quit the platform for other available alternatives.
     The government suspended the platform after accusing it of doing so little to control hate speech, lies and dividing Ugandans on partisan lines.
Facebook is also accused of deleting accounts of hundreds of the ruling National Resistance Movement (NRM) supporters suspected to be fake.