i freedom Uganda Network Annual Report

i freedom Uganda Network
Who is i freedom Uganda Network?
ANNUAL REPORT
i freedom Uganda Network is an organization that promotes and supports, freedom of speech,
expression, association, and assembly through technical IT support, research and development of
tools and applications that enhance digital security and safety.
i freedom is guided by the principles of the Human rights based approach(HRBA), and whist its
intervention primarily target its membership , it also addresses the needs of other Human Rights
Organizations (HROs ) that may require its services.
i freedom Uganda Network is composed of 28 member organizations which can be broadly
categorized into 3; LGBTI organizations, Sex workers organizations and mainstream human rights
organizations. Faced with enormous digital security threats, five Ugandan LGBTI and two Sex
workers organizations came together at the end of January 2012 to fight against the way misuse of
Internet by various key stake holders was affecting the online and offline freedom and rights of a
certain marginalized group (LGBTI & SWs) to freely associate, assemble and indeed express
themselves freely without any fear of risk and reprisal from state agencies and other dangerous
hacking groups.
The i freedom Uganda Network Secretariat is run by a team of 6 persons led by an Executive
Director - Kelly Daniel Mukwano. The team at the secretariat is guided and governed by a Steering
Committee of Five persons chaired by Dr. Stella N. The Secretariat and the Steering Committee
carryout the work on behalf of the most at risk populations that our Network is serving, we are
proud to say that 99% of the work and services by the i freedom Uganda Network is demand
driven. We consult with our constituencies through our membership of 28 Mainstream Human
Rights Organizations, LGBTI, Sex Workers Organization and women organization to be able to
deliver services and digital security trainings that work within our context and address the most
pressing needs among the communities that we serve.
VISION:
A Ugandan society where all citizens can access and enjoy the freedom to express themselves on the
internet and while using other ICTs in a safe and secure environment
MISSION:
To promote internet freedoms and civil rights through research, advocacy and equipping
communities with knowledge and tools to enhance digital security
OBJECTIVES:
1. To advocate for a policy and legislative environment the respects and promotes
internet freedoms.

OUR WORK:
2. To enhance the capacity of i freedom Uganda Network members and other Human
Rights Organizations (HROs) to effectively utilize ICTs and the internet.
3. To increase access by Human Rights Organizations and i freedom Uganda Network
members to digital security tools, Apps and other ICTs that will enhance digital security.
4. To strengthen and support research and innovation for development of appropriate
tools and ICTs for human rights promotion and protection
Besides our digital security trainings were we cover privacy of communications, data and computer
security, secure documentation, anonymity of users online, mobile security, we also provide
computer literacy classes to the sexual minorities’ communities in Uganda particularly the sex
workers because their realities as we understand them are different from those of the LGBTI
community, who are more comfortable working with computers.
We also run a crowd sourcing map based on USHAHID platform where we document violations to
freedom of expression, association and assembly to sexual minorities and sex workers in Uganda in
an effort to contribute to the existing efforts of documentation already evident to the sexual rights
movement in Uganda, we also specially train individuals and organizations on the use of the Martus
Human Rights Documentation Software to further boost documentation efforts among the
communities we are serving.
We also provide free web designing and hosting services to organizations that need them.
We have also in the recent past been on the forefront of amplifying the sexual minorities and sex
workers voice in Internet Rights related initiatives through attending local, regional and
international forums. We have represented the communities twice at the annual United Nations
Internet Governance Forum, the Stockholm Internet Forum, and Uganda Internet Governance
Forum among other events where we highlight the plight facing sexual minorities and sex workers
in regard to digital security, internet freedom, and freedom of expression, association and assembly.
As outlined above, all our efforts are aimed at strengthening the digital security of Ugandan sexual
minorities in an effort to encourage the enjoyment of the universal freedom of expression a
cornerstone to which the United Nations is concentrated, freedom of expression and association.
We emphasize digital security training because we believe that in a secure environment people can
freely associate, assemble and indeed express on issues very patent to their rights and freedoms.
We further draw more efforts to digital security because we believe is one of curbing on physical
offline security bleaches as often what happens online materializes offline.
Why we do what we do?
In the recent past Uganda has undergone through an era of new legislations and bills being drafted
before parliament most of which cramp down on human rights rather than protecting the state like
most of their sponsors claim.
The anti-homosexuality bill 2009 for example served to instigate stigma and hatred towards a
certain minority group (LGBTI) rather than protect Ugandan Citizens like its proprietor MP Bahati
always claimed.

The Interception of Communications Act, gives government the liberty to intercept in its
population’s communication via mobile phones, internet or any other means as long as the targeted
individuals are deemed a threat to society, now this means that Sexual minorities in Uganda are a
targeted population in terms of government surveillance since they are a labeled society threat in
Uganda.
The recently enacted Anti-Pornographic Act of 2014, clamps down on individuals freedom of
expression when it prohibits any form of pornography even from adult audiences; this is
problematic because at i freedom Uganda Network we consider porn information just like others
and we see such extreme laws as limiting the people’s enjoyment of their right to information, this
becomes even more worse to already targeted individuals like sexual minorities who are already
easy targets under the interception of communications act.
This year, Attorney General Fred Ruhindi tabled the Uganda Communications (Amendment) Bill
2016 that seeks among other things to give the Executive Arm of government outright powers to
control communications including social media in a way the sector minister deems fit.
Generally we are working under a disabling legal environment and heightened homophobia from
both the state and the general population. Several of our colleagues in the sexual minorities
movement have had their online accounts hacked and in some cases taken over the recent case
being that of Marjorie Nakimuli a Social Worker at the Mulago based Most at Risk Populations
Initiative, some our organizational websites like the Uganda Health Science and Press Association
(UHSPA) website have been hacked on top of being labeled as promotion tools for homosexuality.
But the sex workers, sexual and gender minorities’ communities are not left without hope, there
quite a number of organizations working to make the lives of these individuals in Uganda better
and most of these organizations are addressing health related issues for the community which
leaves a gap especially around digital security, freedom of speech, opinion, expression and
association among others in the community.
It’s therefore the absence of such freedoms such as the freedom of speech, association, assembly,
the absence of communication security for our communities, the absence of secure internet
environment that the i freedom Uganda Network was born and founded.
And yes, we have a statement of purpose,
Our organization classifies the problems we address into four clusters namely;
1. Legal:
Some policies and legislations hinder free access to the internet, encourages surveillance and places
restrictions on human rights and yet still what is more worrying is that citizens especially
members of the LGBTI and Sex Worker’s communities remain largely ignorant about the existence
of these laws which often leads to penalties when they break them.
2. Socio-Economic:
The capacity of i freedom Uganda Network members and some Human Rights Organizations and
Human Rights Defenders to effectively utilize the internet and other ICTs for their work in Human
Rights, Gender Equality and Socio-Economic development is limited.

3. ICTs and Digital Security:
Despite progress globally, there is limited investment and progress in innovation and research to
develop appropriate digital tools and applications that can increase or encourage digital safety and
security; and enhance the work of i freedom Uganda Network members and other Human Rights
Organizations in Uganda.
4. Technology:
There is increased use of the internet and other ICTs to perpetuate attacks (e.g. Cyber bullying,
stalking, harassment, trolling, violence etc. against gender and sexual minorities) and violations of
Human Rights. However, there is limited knowledge about protection amongst users especially
gender and sexual minorities, i freedom Uganda Network members, Human Rights Organizations
and Human Rights Defenders.
All these combined often affect members of the gender and sexual minorities and sex workers in
Uganda who are often double stigmatized by the state and society.
The presence of the above mentioned and much more ever evolving challenges to our communities’
calls for a stronger and stable Network to help push back and equip the communities with the tools
and expertise they need to protect themselves in this age and location of a shrinking internet
freedoms and human rights.
PAST PROJECTS:
Internet Freedom – Your Right, My Right
It’s Our Data Too
Internet Freedom 4 Free Expression, Association and Assembly
Localization Summit and Sprint
Digital Resource Center
CURRENT PROJECTS:
1. Internet Freedom 4 Free Expression, Association and Assembly
Background:
For years sexual minorities in Uganda have been a targeted scapegoat by many people in Ugandan
society – we have been targeted by politicians who want to fulfill their political ambitions and,
likewise, we have been targeted by internet hackers and many other groups, including government
security agencies. On several occasions, vital documents required by the community to educate and
organize itself into civil society, human rights and/or support groups have leaked to unfriendly
government agencies intent on shutting our efforts down. Initially the community thought that such
documents were leaked to government agencies by individuals within the sexual minorities circle;
however, it has now been discovered that state agencies and other Ugandan groups working
against the LGBT and sex workers community have hacked into our databases and obtained
sensitive information.

Early last year government hurriedly passed and gazetted the anti-pornographic act which
proposes strong punishments to internet service providers who allow pornographic content to be
downloaded through their services a move that is seen to openly promote online surveillance and
blocking of whole content by internet service providers in order to avoid these harsh penalties
imposed by this act. What is more worrying about this act and its provisions is that homosexual and
sex work content online including interactions as already been classified as immoral and
pornographic in nature by several segments in the Ugandan government like the minister for ethics
and integrate Father Simon Lukodo further worrying the communities that anytime soon their
online interactions and organizing may be shut down anytime soon and thus the very importance of
digital security trainings like our network offers in order for our communities to survive this tide of
time and repression.
There is no such a thing as freedom of association and expression among sexual minorities and sex
workers in Uganda. On several occasions our workshops and meetings have been closed down by
government agencies, the latest of which was the interruption and closure of a strategic and
planning workshop organized by Freedom and Roam Uganda in Ntinda towards the end of 2013.
With these closures and other existing restrictions to freedoms of association, assembly and
expression, the sexual minorities in Uganda have taken to holding meetings online. Unfortunately,
the challenge is that these online meetings continue to expose us to even more vulnerable and
challenging situations that encroach on our freedom of association and expression. For example,
government and social movements and individuals like MP Bahati, the promoter of the antihomosexuality
Act, have hacked into our conversations held via Facebook, Twitter and other
internet based applications.
Offline we still face security risks as many of our computers have been corrupted with spyware
programs which increase our vulnerability and risk. An example of this is Kampus Liberty Uganda, a
member organization of the i freedom Uganda Network, which was a victim to spyware. As a result,
their official documents were taken, exaggerated and printed in a local daily newspaper called
Kamunye, to be used against them.
Early this year, a friend in the struggle and Programs Officer for Spectrum Uganda Initiatives
contacted us with saddening news that his yahoo based e-mail account had been hacked and was on
the merge of giving his attackers 4000 Euros after they impersonated his organizational donor’s e-
mail and online persona.
And now, even more threatening, the government has decreed to have all mobile phone and
internet users register their sim cards. This is threatening because such a move narrows down the
search for individuals the government perceives and/or targets to be a threat, namely, in this case,
those within the sexual minority community whom the government continually targets and
slanders as threats to Ugandan culture. As a result of registered sim cards, the possibility of a
breach of security is high. Imagine, for example, that sexual minority A makes a phone call to sexual
minority B. The government would be able to tell exactly who sexual minority A and B are and there
locations and further history. This also applies even when using a modem for internet with a
registered sim card: the government will immediately know who is sending out what information
and from where, which puts the lives of activists, human rights workers, and the people whom we
defend at risk.
Moreover, the underlying fact is that most, if not all, of Uganda’s LGBT/SWs own a cell phone and
use the Internet to connect with others in the community. This puts each individual at high risk. If
one person calls another to arrange a meeting and a government agency hacks into the

conversation, it is highly likely that the two individuals will be ambushed even before they are able
to meet and speak to one another. The situation is further made worse with the revelation of Fr.
Simon Lukodo the Minister for Ethics that government has procured software to track down sex
workers and their clients, according to him the software will have the capability to run on both
mobile and computer platforms.
In consideration of the interruptions to meetings, the hacking into sensitive information and other
limitations to full internet freedom in Uganda, the LGBT and sex worker communities have decided
to take action. Through the Network the community has already begun organizing and leading
security trainings for its members; however, due to very limited resources, the trainings have only
been able to target a few people.
2. Internet Freedoms! In whose lenses!
Background:
“Indeed, the Internet has become a key means by which individuals can exercise their right to
freedom of opinion and expression, as guaranteed by article 19 of the Universal Declaration of
Human Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. (para. 20)
The right to freedom of opinion and expression is as much a fundamental right on its own accord as
it is an “enabler” of other rights, including economic, social and cultural rights, such as the right to
education and the right to take part in cultural life and to enjoy the benefits of scientific progress
and its applications, as well as civil and political rights, such as the rights to freedom of association
and assembly. Thus, by acting as a catalyst for individuals to exercise their right to freedom of
opinion and expression, the Internet also facilitates the realization of a range of other human rights.
(para. 22)” i
What is the value of the internet in the fulfillment of rights? The rapid development and growth of
internet access and services in the past two decades indicate its central role in many aspects of our
lives. Much more than a tool, we have formed relationships, gained new knowledge, engaged in
debate, sought income, participated in culture and more in online spaces. The internet’s potential to
revitalize democratic deliberation ii and to transform hierarchical power structures lies in its unique
characteristics that allow immediate transmission of communication and information across
geographical boundaries at relatively low cost. Its networked nature also facilitates interaction and
participation, especially with recent development of web applications and platforms that prioritize
users’ content creation and engagement.
The significance of this is that the internet creates a space where diverse individuals with different
needs and priorities are able to express their realities and perspectives without being confined by
the sifting powers of institutions such as broadcasting media. “Truth” becomes a dialogic
negotiation between multiple speakers, where active participation in contested and collective
meaning-making is made possible. This means that different kinds of discourses are able to
proliferate and norms that discriminate against or silence marginalized sections of society can be
challenged and dismantled. It provides an environment where people with shared interests and
concerns are able to overcome geographical and other limitations to come together and share ideas,
provide mutual support, exchange information and organize for change. In this way, the internet
has become an increasingly critical public sphere for the claiming of citizenship rights and civil
liberties. For those who have little access to other kinds of “publics” iii due to the multiple forms of
discrimination faced – including based on gender, age, economic status and sexual identity – it can
be a particularly important space for the negotiation and fulfillment of their rights.

However, this landscape is rapidly changing. The internet is subjected to increasing forms of
regulation by both state and non-state actors, with existing unequal power structures inflecting the
deliberation. From managing critical internet resources, to intergovernmental cooperation in
cybercrime issues, the question of who governs the internet, under what principles, and to whose
interests becomes a shared critical concern.
3. Localization Summit and Sprint
4. Free Web Designing and Hosting
5. i freedom Apps Development
6. Computer Literacy Project
i REPORT OF THE SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR ON THE PROMOTION AND PROTECTION OF THE RIGHT TO FREEDOM OF
OPINION AND EXPRESSION, FRANK LA RUE, 16 MAY 2011, A/HRC/17/27
ii EROTICS Brazil report for a comprehensive analysis on the potential of the internet to address democratic deficits,
analysed through the concept of “communicative action” by Jürgen Habermas.
iii “Publics” indicates a multiplicity of sites of engagement by civil society in their participation in democratic
debates and processes to challenge and organise against discrimination and exclusion, as opposed to a singular
“public sphere” such as the media. See the EROTICS South Africa report for a discussion of this concept in relation to
its research on lesbian and transgender sites.