Activists to Sue Government over Anti-pornography law.

BY DEO WALUSIMBI

Activists have embarked on a court process, suing government for what they term as gross violation of human rights by enacting the Anti-pornography law.

 According to activists Lawyers led by West Budama MP Fox Odoi, a legal team has already been instituted to gather “useful evidence” to back their court case, challenging the newly controversial Anti-pornography Act.

President Museveni assented to the anti-pornography law early this Month.

Speaking to the Unwanted witness-Uganda on February 21 at Parliamentary building in Kampala, MP Odoi said that “We are in  a process of gathering our evidence that we would use to back our case against the Government that we are yet to file” said Odoi.

He contends that the new legislation, “Contravenes the human rights” given the fact that it limits people, women in Particular, to don the cloths of their choice.

The new law which was enacted by Parliament in December last year after Government tabled it on grounds of stepping up the moral values amongst the populace, and it imposes harsh punishments to the culprits, upon conviction by competent courts.

The law targets the promoters of the pornography through pornographic material.

It for example states that Publishers, broadcasters, film importers and exporters, artists, bar owners and internet café operators should at all times adhere to the dictates of this law and should they fail, they are the likely to fall culprits.

Section two of the law defines pornography as “Any representation through publication, exhibition, cinematography, indecent show, information technology, or by whatever means of a person engaged in real or stimulated explicit sexual activities or any representation of sexual parts of a person for primary sexual excitement.”

This would mean that any woman who puts on a skirt or a dress that is above the knees, would be violating the law thus being liable for imprisonment of 10 years, compensation of Shs 10M or both, upon conviction.

Meanwhile, the same MP says that they would not stop on Pornography, but they are also awaiting the President to assent to Anti-homosexuality bill as he promised last week, to file an independent case.

deo@unwantedwitness.or.ug

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