Kenya Insights

Tag: Social media

  • US Visa Applicants Must Now Disclose All Social Media Accounts They’ve Had From The Past 5 Years

    US Visa Applicants Must Now Disclose All Social Media Accounts They’ve Had From The Past 5 Years

    The United States Embassy has implemented a strict new requirement that could significantly impact millions of visa applicants worldwide, including Kenyans seeking to travel to America.

    All US visa applicants must now provide comprehensive details of every social media account they have used over the past five years, with failure to comply potentially resulting in visa denial and permanent ineligibility for future applications.

    This mandatory disclosure applies to the DS-160 visa application form, where applicants must list usernames and handles from every social media platform they have accessed during the specified period. The requirement covers major platforms including Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Pinterest, Reddit, Tumblr, Twitter, and YouTube, as well as regional platforms like Douban, VKontakte, and Youku.

    “Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles for every platform they have used in the past five years,” the US Embassy stated in its recent announcement. The embassy emphasized that applicants must certify the accuracy of all information before submitting their applications, warning that “omitting social media information on your application could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future US visas.”

    The enhanced vetting measures represent a significant escalation of social media screening policies that have been in place since 2019, but have become considerably more stringent under the current administration’s immigration policies. What makes this requirement particularly impactful is its retroactive nature, requiring applicants to recall and disclose social media activity spanning half a decade.

    For international students seeking F, M, and J visas, the requirements have become even more demanding. Recent policy updates now require these applicants to make their social media accounts public, allowing consular officers to review posts, comments, shared media, tags, reactions, and account interactions as part of the vetting process. This level of scrutiny reflects the administration’s focus on filtering applicants based on their online expressions, particularly regarding political opinions, global issues, and content deemed potentially problematic.

    The policy change comes amid heightened efforts to combat visa fraud and strengthen immigration controls. The US Embassy has simultaneously warned that individuals found engaging in fraudulent activities to obtain visas will face lifetime bans from entering the United States. “Those who commit visa fraud will be banned from the United States for life,” the embassy stated, adding that criminal charges may be pursued against offenders.

    For travelers, this development signals a new era of digital transparency in visa applications. The requirement effectively means that casual social media users must maintain detailed records of their online presence, including platforms they may have briefly used or forgotten about. The policy recognizes that social media activity has become an integral part of personal identity verification and national security screening.

    Privacy advocates have raised concerns about the extensive nature of this digital surveillance, particularly given that applicants must provide access to five years of personal online activity. However, the US government maintains that applicants are not required to provide passwords to their accounts, and consular officers cannot modify applicant profiles.

    The practical implications for visa applicants are substantial. Travelers must now conduct thorough audits of their social media history, ensuring they can account for every platform used over the past five years. This includes not just major platforms but also professional networks, dating apps, gaming platforms, and regional social media sites that maintain user profiles.

    Travel industry experts suggest that prospective applicants should begin documenting their social media usage immediately, creating comprehensive lists of all platforms and associated usernames. They also recommend reviewing past posts and online activity to ensure consistency with visa application information.

    The new requirements underscore the evolving landscape of international travel, where digital footprints have become as important as traditional documentation. For the millions of people who rely on US visas for business, education, tourism, and family visits, this policy represents a fundamental shift in how personal information is evaluated in the visa process.

    As global mobility increasingly intersects with digital identity, travelers must now navigate not just physical borders but also the complex terrain of their online presence, making social media literacy and digital responsibility essential skills for international travel in the modern era.

  • South Sudan Lifts Social Media Ban

    South Sudan Lifts Social Media Ban

    South Sudan government on Monday lifted a ban on social media platforms Facebook and TikTok, a week after it was imposed by a regulatory authority in hope to curb the spread of inflammatory content following violent protests.

    Last week, protests sparked by gruesome videos of killings in Sudan’s Al Jazira state erupted in Juba and quickly spread across South Sudan, leading to the deaths of 16 Sudanese nationals, mostly businessmen, and the looting of businesses. In response, the government blocked access to Facebook and TikTok.

    In a directive to internet providers, the National Communications Authority (NCA) lifted the ban on social media platforms, effective from midnight, stating that the primary objective for which it was imposed had been achieved.

    “Following our directives issued on Wednesday, January 22nd, 2025, regarding the blockage of Facebook and TikTok in the Republic of South Sudan, we are pleased to report that the primary objective of removing graphic and inflammatory content has been successfully achieved,” he said.

    “As a result of this achievement, the NCA hereby announces the lifting of the blockage of Facebook and TikTok, effective today at 00:00 hours, January 27th, 2025,” said NCA Director General Napoleon Adok Gai in the document addressed to Internet providers.

    He appreciated the cooperation of internet providers in helping the Authority fulfill its mandate.

    “In conjunction with this decision, we urge all our licensees with cache servers of Facebook and Tik Tok being hosted in South Sudan to actively participate in monitoring these social media platforms and to assist in reporting inflammatory and graphic content that should be pulled down by the social media platform operators (Meta and Tik Tok),” he said.

    Gai said the rise of violence linked to social media content in South Sudan underscores the need for a balanced approach that addresses the root causes of online incitement while protecting the rights of the population.

    “By lifting of this blockage of Facebook and TikTok operations, they wish to foster a safer digital environment and promote peace and stability the country. The authority will be reaching out for consolidated approach to avoid shutdowns,” he added.

    Local mobile operators, including Zain, MTN, and Gemtel, confirmed they had received the government directive and had lifted the block, which had drawn strong criticism from local and international rights groups.

    The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) in a statement yesterday called on the government authorities to reverse the social media ban and ensure that the public has open and reliable internet access, saying social media was essential for news gathering amid unrest in the country.

    “Blocking social media access is a blanket act of censorship and a disproportionate response to unrest that makes it difficult for journalists to do their jobs and robs the public of the diverse sources of news. South Sudanese authorities should immediately lift this social media suspension,” the press release quoted the CPJ Africa Program Coordinator, Muthoki Mumo, as saying.

  • Musk, MrBeast, Larry Ellison – Who Might Buy TikTok?

    Musk, MrBeast, Larry Ellison – Who Might Buy TikTok?

    Jimmy Donaldson – aka MrBeast – was jubilant as he told his tens of millions of TikTok followers about his bid to buy the platform.

    “I might become you guys’ new CEO! I’m super excited!” Donaldson said from a private jet. He then proceeded to promise $10,000 to five random new followers.

    The internet creator’s post has been viewed more than 73 million times since Monday. Donaldson said he could not share details about his bid, but promised: “Just know, it’s gonna be crazy.”

    Donaldson is one of multiple suitors who have expressed interest in purchasing TikTok, the wildly popular social media platform that’s become the subject of a fast-moving political drama in the United States.

    Last year, then-President Joe Biden signed a law that gave TikTok’s China-based parent company ByteDance until 19 January to sell the platform or face a ban in the United States.

    The legislation addressed concerns about TikTok’s links to the Chinese government and worries about the app being a national security risk.

    President Donald Trump has floated the possibility of a joint venture.

    “I would like the United States to have a 50% ownership position,” he said in a Truth Social post on Sunday. “By doing this, we save TikTok, keep it in good hands and allow it to [stay up].”

    Trump has since signed an executive order that allows the app to stay operational for another 75 days.

    Earlier this month, Bloomberg reported that China was considering a TikTok sale to Elon Musk, the world’s richest man and a close ally of President Trump, who already owns the social media platform X.

    Musk himself wrote on X this week that while he has long been against a TikTok ban, “the current situation where TikTok is allowed to operate in America, but X is not allowed to operate in China is unbalanced. Something needs to change”.

    At a news conference Tuesday, Trump was asked by a reporter if he would be open to Musk buying the platform.

    “I would be if he wanted to buy it, yes,” the president replied.

    “I’d like Larry to buy it, too,” Trump added, referring to Oracle chairman Larry Ellison, a long-time Trump supporter who was on stage with him for a separate announcement.

    Oracle is one of TikTok’s main server providers, managing many of the data centres where billions of the platform’s videos are stored.

    Last year, Oracle warned that a TikTok ban could hurt its business. The cloud computing giant was also a leading contender to buy the social media platform in 2020, back when Trump was trying to ban it.

    Billionaire investor Frank McCourt has also expressed interest in TikTok, and has been doing media interviews about the prospect for several months.

    McCourt has said he wants TikTok to run on technology overseen by the Project Liberty Institute, which he founded. He has been critical of data collection practices of social media companies.

    Project Liberty is bidding for TikTok without its proprietary algorithm. McCourt told CNBC this week that Project Liberty is “not interested in the algorithm or the Chinese technology” even as he acknowledged that the platform is “worth less” without it.

    Ultimately, President Trump is likely to have a major role in selecting a US buyer of TikTok.

    “It’s going to be a winner that’s likely to be politically sympathetic to President Donald Trump,” said Anupam Chander, a law professor at Georgetown University.

    Prof Chander said the 50-50 joint ownership model does not comport with the law’s requirements, which might prompt Trump to pressure Congress into revising the law.

    For now, the platform’s future remains in limbo.

    Prof Chander said the Biden administration made an “unforced error” by allowing the law to give the president outsized control over who owns TikTok.

    “It was a terrible idea to put the future of a massive information platform into this political maelstrom,” Prof Chander said.

  • KRA Is Now Keeping An Eye On Kenyans Displaying Lavish Lifestyle On Social Media To Nab Tax Cheats

    KRA Is Now Keeping An Eye On Kenyans Displaying Lavish Lifestyle On Social Media To Nab Tax Cheats

    The taxman is training its guns on rich Kenyans displaying lavish lifestyles on social media but paying little or no taxes.

    The Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) Commissioner-General Githii Mburu said his officers are now spending time on social media, trolling Kenyans posting photos of luxurious cars, throwing expensive parties, living lavishly to ensure their taxes are in tandem with their image.

    In a move that is set to strike at the heart of the ‘soft life’ generation, socialites and a growing number of Kenyans who are splashing their lives on social media, the KRA says it is time for every Kenyan to pay their fair share of taxes.

    The tax cheats risk travel bans, collection of duty directly from their suppliers and bankers and prosecution in what is emerging to be the biggest crackdown yet on high-net-worth individuals.

    The KRA is racing to bring more people into the tax bracket and curb tax cheating and evasion in the quest to meet targets.

    The taxman has a team focused on smoking out tax cheats through sites such as Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat.

    “In the social media, we have some people posting some nice things. You would see some posting nice houses, cars, taking their families to nice places and so on. Here, we are not sleeping, when we see those, we see taxes,” Mr Mburu said in an interview with the Business Daily.

    The KRA chief said seeing a fuel guzzler zoom past him, he asks himself if that man or woman behind the wheels has paid taxes.

    “We have our officers looking, they have gadgets. They key in very quickly (the number plate) to check. We are working exceptionally hard,” he said.

    He said this could explain in part the reason for his success, having exceeded his tax collections target for this year by Sh27 billion.

    The clampdown on the rich is part of the commitment that Kenya made to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to recover unpaid taxes from high-net worth professionals and traders in efforts to raise the national revenues.

    The KRA is flagging wealthy individuals that have been hiding their sources of income while engaging in luxury spending and accumulation of property, including purchase of homes and big cars.

    Besides scouring social media sites, the Authority has been using various databases to pursue suspected tax cheats, among them bank statements, import records, motor vehicle registration details, Kenya Power records, water bills and data from the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCCA), which reveal individuals who own assets such as helicopters.

    Mr Mburu says a huge chunk of Kenyans building houses are not paying taxes on claims the properties are products of bank loans.

    “We know you can build a house from loans. But that loan must be repaid from somewhere. We are following all those applying for meters”.

    The KRA is also linked to the government’s e-procurement system or the Integrated Financial Management Information System (IFMIS), making it easier to pursue suppliers earning billions of shillings from counties and State tenders without paying their share of taxes.

    “We have access to IFMIS and we want to see anyone being paid by government; is he or that business paying taxes? We are also able to work with other third parties like Kenya Power,” Mr Mburu said.

    Kenya Power meter registrations are helping the taxman to identify landlords, some of who have been slapped with huge tax demands.

    Car registration details are also being used to smoke out individuals who have little to show in terms of taxes remitted.

    The aggression has seen the taxman run ahead of its targets for the first time in over a decade. In its latest tax performance update released last week, the KRA said it collected Sh154.3 billion in October 2021 against a target of Sh142.2 billion.

    Mr Mburu said his agency started the new financial year on an upward trajectory after surpassing its July-September 2021 target of Sh461.6 billion by Sh15 billion, representing a 30 percent growth.

    Cumulatively, the KRA collected Sh631 billion between July and October 2021 against a target of Sh603.9 billion, translating to a performance rate of 104.5 percent, a growth of 28.3 percent and a surplus of Sh27 billion.

    Mr Mburu said the improved performance is anchored in implementation of key strategies, among them tax base expansion that focuses on bringing citizens and business previously not paying taxes.

    Other strategies include enhanced compliance efforts addressing tax evasion and illicit trade as well as extensive use of data and intelligence to unearth unpaid taxes.

    Mr Mburu noted that Kenya’s tax to Gross Domestic Product ratio stands at 13.8 percent, indicating the need to continue enhancing tax collection and reducing tax expenditure in the form of exemptions and incentives to achieve the desired rate of more than 20 percent.

  • Trump To Launch New Social Media Plartform Truth Social To Rival Twitter And Facebook

    Trump To Launch New Social Media Plartform Truth Social To Rival Twitter And Facebook

    Former US President Donald Trump has announced plans to launch a new social media network, called TRUTH Social.

    He said the platform would “stand up to the tyranny of big tech”, accusing them of silencing opposing voices in the US.

    Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG), which he chairs, also intends to launch a subscription video-on-demand service.

    Mr Trump was banned or suspended from social networks like Twitter and Facebook after crowds of his supporters stormed the US Capitol in January.

    He and his advisers have since hinted that they were planning to create a rival social media site.

    Earlier this year, he launched From the Desk of Donald J Trump, which was often referred to as a blog.

    The website was permanently shut down less than a month after it launched. His senior aide Jason Miller said it was “just auxiliary to the broader efforts we have and are working on”.

    An early version of his latest venture, TRUTH Social, will be open to invited guests next month, and will have a “nationwide rollout” within the first three months of 2022, according to a statement by TMTG.

    “We live in a world where the Taliban has a huge presence on Twitter, yet your favourite American President has been silenced,” wrote Mr Trump.

    “Everyone asks me why doesn’t someone stand up to Big Tech? Well, we will be soon!” he added.-BBC.

  • Exposed Part Two: Raila Odinga’s Pointman And Uriri MP Eng Mark Ogolla Caught Up In Pro Gas Fraud Scheme Via His Horizon Media Investments Limited

    Exposed Part Two: Raila Odinga’s Pointman And Uriri MP Eng Mark Ogolla Caught Up In Pro Gas Fraud Scheme Via His Horizon Media Investments Limited

    Last month, Eng. Raila Amollo Odinga, the Opposition leader, and self-declared public defender number one lamented that the level of youth unemployment in Kenya is a ticking time bomb waiting to explode. Speaking during the International Youth week celebrations at the United Nations habitat, Gigiri, the former premier called on employers to work with institutions to match students’ skills so that they are employable.

    While many unemployed Kenyans have finally ventured into other sources of earning income after their efforts of trying to get formal and informal jobs turned futile, Online niche has created a massive umbrella that has covered the current government unmanageable unemployment rate that has constantly hit Kenyans and especially the Youth since independence.

    According to a survey by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) in 2018, 7million Kenyans were unemployed with 1.4 million out of this figure desperately looking for jobs. And many youths who have borrowed loans and government grants have never ever seen a payslip since the day they left higher learning institutions that, apparently in Kenyan set up, is a key pillar in enlightening youths and shaping them for “many employment opportunities” available outside here.

    “I have never been employed since I completed my degree course in Linguistics Media and Communication from Moi University main campus in Eldoret. I have attended very many interviews with no success and I’m afraid my career path is on an attachment and internship trail after undertaking a lot of internship programs,” One of my case study Ms. Nyaera told me. 

    Even as Raila Odinga, who is also the African Union High Representative For Infrastructure Development say that unemployment rate in Youths is a time bomb. His close circle consists of folks who have invested in heavily and extensively in looting, robing and blowing the youths hopes of getting employment and financial stability.

    In a recent article by this site, a very close political and business buddy to Raila Odinga, who is the Uriri MP and Managing Director of Horizon Media Investments Limited Eng Mark Ogolla Nyamita colluded with Pro Gas and defrauded thousands of unemployed and unsuspecting Kenyans on social media.

    Image result for raila jaffer

    Pro Gas which is owned by a controversial Mombasa Tycoon Jaffer Mohammed, who is also Raila Odinga’s ally and business partner with Mombasa governor Hassan Joho. Jaffer is also a business crony of DP Dr. William Ruto, another Kenya’s controversial businessman. Pro Gas and Horizon media have been alleged to be the masterminds behind the collapse of a government-subsidized gas project.

     

    So, who is this Eng Mark Ogolla, Born in Rapogi village in the larger Uririi area in Migori County. The son of a fisherman and an omena seller outsmarted his poverty background and went ahead and conquered the tough like. He graduated from Jomo Kenya University of Agriculture and Technology with a Bachelor of Science Degree (civil engineering) and a holder of masters in entrepreneurship from Strathmore School of Business.

    After Strathmore,  Mark Ogolla was hired by Standard Chartered as a sales representative who represented well the bank in Banking competitions and successfully made Standard Chartered Bank emerge winner as the best chartered Bank in sales and marketing. As the results of the hard work, Standard Chartered awarded him, rather promoted him to the position of a Sales Manager. That’s when Mark Ogolla started high-end deep-rooted cartel con deals.

    Before that, Engineer had other businesses and formal jobs in tech firms that are off the record since he was mainly employed without contracts and left the jobs in bad faith. One of our sources states that Mark has been allegedly looting in every gig he has been offered something that has kept him in and out of many casual and official jobs.

    Eng Mark Ogolla has also worked as a telecommunication director and technician in technology industries. He has deep rooting connections in the Kenyan telecommunication industry and has worked as head of Corporate sales at Celtel which was bought out by the Indian owner Bharti Airtel which runs its business right now as Airtel Kenya.

    During his tenure at Airtel, Mark Ogolla was accused by his juniours of mistreatment and sexual harassment, that Kenya insights treat as unverified allegations. His former colleague was also quoted by another independent blog saying that Mr. Mark Nyamita used his powers as The sales Officer to sell phones that were meant to be distributed to customers.

    The customer phones scandal unearthed another massive scandal at Celtel, current Airtel Kenya, that saw Ksh 30million disappear under his watch. A scandal that saw his Sales Manager contract at the telco terminated with immediate effect without compensation after being fired from the firm.

    Politically, Mark Ogolla or as many of his close political allies will call him Nyamita, used the connection links that he got when he was given the tender to run a social media campaign of Pro Gas. The founder and CEO of Proto Energy Limited, formerly known as My Gas, a company that had allegedly been linked to Alfred Mutua is a close friend to Eng. Nyamita.

    Mark made his name known deeper in the political circle when he openly dismissed calls by WIPER and ANC leaders pushing for Kalonzo Musyoka and Musalia Mudavadi respectively to be presidential candidates in 2022. The Uriri legislature Nyamita said that the calls are premature insisting that NASA remains united and their immediate task is to swear in Raila Odinga.

    When Pro Gas was first unveiled, rumors spread fast and became almost believable that the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) company with its almost girlish pink cylinders has made its intent clear in the Kenyan market and threatened VIVO energy and Kobil Kenya as many customers embrace it due to its affordability.Image result for mark ogola celtel

    Pro-Gas is owned by Kameel Virjee. And has connections that link its supplies to Jaffer Mohammed and Kenya’s number one LPG dealer, former premier Raila Amolo Odinga. The company started operations in Kenya in 2017 and has gone to establish itself as a market leader.

    According to a post appearing on this site, Horizon Media Management Limited firm was contracted by Proto Energy Limited to carry out Pro-Gas marketing campaigns and the firm owned by the MP and Raila’s pointman Eng Mark Ogolla is accused of pocketing money that was meant for promotions late last year. The agreement was that participants with the highest likes in Pro Gas social media pages would be automatically awarded cash prizes and complete gas cylinders. The winners have never been awarded months later.

    If indeed Raila Odinga is and meant what he said at Gigiri about youths suffering due to unemployment, Why is he sitting on this case despite several complaints from youths were directly conned by his friend and party member? Raila’s family has deep links in LPG in this country and he can’t say that he has never heard nor informed about this matter! Raila’s silence about the matter makes him look like an accomplice, if he doesn’t speak out on this issue, then the Kenyan youths that were conned and many of those whose dreams were shuttered by Horizon Media that Eng Nyamita owns should blame him because he sits at the higher authority that can easily solve their grievances.

    And to Kenya’s first team on antigraft and public defender from the state DCI, should also on their part not sleep on this case.  This case has never been settled and one wonders why are the most active state departments quite on all this issue? Who is this Eng Mark Nyamita that has made DCI his clowns and is controlling how they should handle the case?

    If the Rapogi villager and legislature Mark Ogolla Nyamita can successfully double-cross and defraud unsuspecting youths across the country, what can he do to the Migori residents, and specifically what has he done already to the Uriri folks and area which is predominantly occupied by Luos with a significant population of the Kuria, Luhya, Kisii, and Somali?

    What is the Office of the Director of Public Prosecution doing about this Pro Gas heist and scam that saw thousands of youths swindled by a civil servant? The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) is the National Prosecuting Authority in Kenya which has been mandated by the Constitution to prosecute all criminal cases in the country.

    The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Noordin Haji is the head of the ODPP and operates independently as stipulated under Article 157 of the Constitution. What is his office doing yet this is a massive criminal case that has, in fact, affected thousands across the country?

    Communication Authority also is failing Kenyan youths. This is one of the Parastatals that should be, rather should have already launched investigations into this scam that happened online and the accused rather responsible company, Horizon Media limited should be blacklisted if found guilty to have indulged in fraud. This is a past case however it leaves footprints of fraud on the company and so is the owner- MP Mark Nyamita Ogolla.

    I mean, Raila cannot be making a lot of noise on and offline that he is more concerned about the development of youths and their gruesome burden of unemployment. It pains not only me but also every youth in this country that is struggling to get few coins to feed themselves only to benefit couple greedy, selfish and con individuals and in this case, elected leaders and known businessmen.

    With my little remaining respect as I jot this article down, What does Hon. Eng Raila Odinga who’s also, of course, everyone should know that is in gas business have to say about this and what message does the former Prime Minister send about the war on corruption?

    I can’t stand leaders who chest thumb in public making a lot of noise yet beneath are openly engaging in fraudulent activities. If Eng Raila Amollo Odinga has a shred of tenderness and a soft spot on youths affairs in this country, he should, in my honest suggestion I know he can, personally come out to not only condemn but ensure consumers are protected from frauds like this ODM allied MP and that he should have his day in court or at least sent a legal team, which he has, to represent many affected youths…

    In conclusion, globally the will of the people is the only legitimate foundation of any government, and to protect free expression and existence should be our first objective. One more thing from me to Hon Eng. Raila Odinga, Good people don’t need laws to tell them to act responsibly, while bad people will always find a way around the laws.

  • Museveni’s Administration To Register And Monitor Social Media Influencers

    Museveni’s Administration To Register And Monitor Social Media Influencers

    African countries should avoid electing these extra old leaders who need to be resting at their homes or running their family business, that’s if, at all, they have either of the two. Uganda just like any other suffering African countries is forced to bear the burden of an old-school stone-hearted man at the helm of their leadership structures.

    After signing a Bill that Tax social media users, Yoweri Museveni has now instructed his administration through Uganda’s communications regulator to register and monitor activities of Influencers on Ugandan social media and others with large, commercialized online followings.

    According to Museveni’s allies and handlers, directive and scheme which also levies a $20 fee, is designed to clamp down on immoral or prejudiced content largely directed to the President, his family, and administration.

    I mean everyone should at least agree with me that Museveni’s behaviour and the directive is centuries back a total disgrace to the independence and democracy, which clearly isn’t existing, of the People of  Uganda. Museveni is committed to a cause of muting his critics and now wants to suppress online content disapproving of him and his government.

    Last week, university lecturer and social researcher Stella Nyanzi was jailed for 18 months on cyber harassment charges stemming from a Facebook post criticizing Museveni. According to digital communications rights watchdog Unwanted Witness, between 2016 and 2018 at least 33 Ugandans have either been summoned and interrogated by police or charged with online communications offences. The registration scheme is “not a positive move, it infringes on the rights to freedom of expression.

    People are able to express themselves well when they know that somebody is not watching over them,” said the organization’s chief executive, Dorothy Mukasa.

    Ibrahim Bbosa, Uganda Communications Commission spokesman stated that the data communicators to be registered included individuals with heavily followed social media and other online accounts that carried ads alongside other content on platforms including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube. That would include prominent musicians, journalists and socialites.

    “As a data communicator…you’re pushing out content which could easily violate the known parameters of morality, of incitement, of ethnic prejudice or not be factual. We want online platforms to register with the commission so that we can monitor (them), a process that the $20 fee was designed to fund.” Bbosa said

    Robert Ssempala, national coordinator for Human Rights Network for Journalists-Uganda, said that, for many, the fee was prohibitive.

    “The spirit of the regulation is essentially to make it extremely unaffordable, to make it extremely frightening for people to engage in sharing information on social media,” he added.

    Last year the government introduced a tax on the use of popular social media platforms. Museveni has repeatedly complained that Ugandan social media is a vehicle for lying and spreading unregulated gossip, interpreted referring to information critical of the government.

    In a Nutshell, any State that makes a mistake of trusting their leadership structures to leaders who have taken power by force rather attempted to take power through rigging or military force should expect muddles like the ones Uganda is in right now. Museveni has been in power since 1986, one wonders what is this that he has not accomplished for more than 3 decades. And if you think that he’s letting go, then you are the one in the wrong country, Museveni is extensively expected to run again in the next presidential election in 2021.