The Ugandan High Court has refused to block the country’s SIM card registration process, in spite of claims the March 01 deadline was in violation of people’s right to communication.
The Human Rights Network for Journalists reportedly did not properly file an application for an injunction, thus judge Justice Eldard Mwangusya ruled it could not be upheld.
The argument by journalists in the country, through Web Advocates and Associates, stipulated the March 01 deadline for SIM card registration violation citizens’ right to communicate, and that the Uganda Communications Commission (UCC), their agents and their attorney general did not implement sufficient and structured public consultations.
Furthermore the journalists wanted to prevent the UCC by setting any other deadlines before rectifying the irregularities through the same court order.
The UCC hit back by saying the SIM card registration is in line with the Regulation of Interception of Communications Act, 2010.
It said the registration process intends to assist law enforcement agencies to track criminals using mobiles for illegal purposes, identify SIM card owners, curb various negative incidents and to assist telecommunications companies to understand their customers more.
The main suit is to be heard a day after the deadline, which grants UCC the right to go ahead with the disconnection.
With the deadline around the corner, telecommunications companies in the country have set up registration centres in many shopping centres and hired more people to help cope with the subscribers wanting to register their SIM cards in a last minute rush, so as not to lose subscribers.
